Category: EU Members

European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Turkey on 17 Dec. 2004

China has no plans to ‘buy out Europe’: state media

A policeman stand guard near the European Union Delegation in Beijing in November 2011. China has no intention to "buy out Europe", a top state-run newspaper said Monday, reiterating comments made by Premier Wen Jiabao ahead of a major summit with the European Union in Beijing.

AFP – China has no intention to “buy out Europe”, a top state-run newspaper said Monday, reiterating comments made by Premier Wen Jiabao ahead of a major summit with the European Union in Beijing.

The Chinese government has in recent weeks sought to calm concerns in Europe that a wave of investment by Chinese companies and government-backed funds will give Beijing too much influence over struggling European economies.

“China not only does not have the appetite or ability to ‘buy out Europe’ or ‘control Europe’ like some in Europe have said, but also supports the euro and European Union from start to finish,” the People’s Daily said.

The commentary in the overseas edition of the Communist Party mouthpiece also reiterated comments made by Wen earlier this month that China was mulling helping out in the European debt crisis, through the International Monetary Fund or bailout funds.

“For many years, the European Union has been China’s biggest export market and largest source of technology, as well as a major provider of foreign investment,” it said.

“This is the main consideration behind what Premier Wen said — that ‘helping Europe is actually helping China itself’.”

The comment piece comes a day ahead of a major EU-China summit that takes place against a backdrop of concern over the eurozone crisis, which has seen a wave of credit-rating downgrades and brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy will attend the summit in Beijing on Tuesday, as will Wen.

European leaders have previously called on China, which has the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves, to invest in a bailout fund to rescue debt-stricken countries.

China has so far made no firm commitment to provide financial assistance, other than Wen’s comments made during German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit and reiterated in the People’s Daily on Monday.

But Chinese companies and funds have ramped up their investment in Europe, buying up utilities, energy firms and even luxury yacht makers, in a move welcomed by some but eyed with concern by others.

Analysts say bargain-hunting — and not the secret hand of Beijing — is driving the recent wave of acquisitions as Chinese firms seek to expand abroad and the country’s sovereign wealth fund diversifies away from US bonds.

February 13, 2012
Matthew Bryza: politicians shouldn’t characterize events as genocide or not as genocide

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 11 / Trend A.Badalova /

“It’s not the business of any politician in any country to characterize events as genocide or not as genocide,” former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza said in an interview with Turkish Hurriyet Daily newspaper.

On Jan 23, after an eight-hour debate, the French senate adopted the law criminalizing the denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”. The bill demands a year’s imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euro for denying the so-called genocide.

French senators who did not agree with the adoption of the law appealed to the Constitutional Council on Jan. 31 with a request to cancel it. The council should examine issue on the law adopted in the both chambers of the French parliament and which many consider violating the Constitution and freedom of expression.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey – Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the “Armenian Genocide” by the parliaments of several countries.

Mr Bryza said it has to be up to societies, not to others, to have a decision taken based on a political calendar.

He noted truth is on everyone side, especially on Turkey’s side. The debate about this issue is really one-sided right now.

“If you believe there was a genocide committed, you can equally argue looking from a narrow definition of the word that genocide was committed to many others, against Turks or Muslims, in eastern Anatolia,” Mr Bryza said

February 12, 2012
“Turkey Now” festival to introduce Turkish art and culture

Netherlands: “Turkey Now” festival to introduce Turkish art and culture

The 4th “Turkey Now” festival will begin in the Netherlands on February 23. The festival aims to introduce Turkish art and culture to Dutch people.

February 12, 2012
Greek ‘wall’ is negative symbol, Turkey says

By Andrew Rettman

BRUSSELS – Turkey’s EU affairs minister has described the Greek anti-migrant fence as a symbol of division between the Union and outside countries.

Alluding to the Berlin wall, which used to separate western Europe from the Soviet bloc, Egemen Bagis told EUobserver on Wednesday (8 February): “It is not the time to talk about new walls in Europe – we need to talk about new bridges. Europe paid the cost of walls in the recent past and … everyone should work to build new bridges between different views, different cultures and different countries [instead].”

He added that “Turkey is a bridge between east and west” and that the Islamic country’s EU membership would “symbolise an alliance of civilizations.”

Greece this week began construction of a razor-wire barrier on its 13-km-long land border with Turkey.

The fence is designed to deter the thousands of people from Asia and north Africa who come each month to seek asylum in the Union.

The European Commission has described it as “pointless.” A Brussels-based NGO, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, said it would be a “tragedy” if it keeps out people fleeing conflicts in Afghanistan and Syria.

The Turkish minister’s remarks come in the context of prickly EU-Turkey relations – accession talks stopped over a year ago and the EU refuses to start negotiations on visa-free travel.

“The citizens of Belize, Paraguay, the 190 million citizens of Brazil, or the citizens of Malaysia – with all due respect to them – can travel to the [EU passport-free] Schengen zone without a visa, but my citizens have to wait in line … it is not correct,” he noted.

The EU says it will start visa talks only if Turkey signs a pact on taking back illegal migrants.

Bagis said the visa talks must come first: “Turkey is ready to initial the readmission agreement if the EU Council authorises the commission to launch visa facilitation talks leading to visa liberalisation.”

Greece is one of the main opponents of Turkey’s EU entry due to its occupation of northern Cyprus.

Bagis described Greece and Turkey as being “very close friends.” But he highlighted that Turkey is enjoying an economic boom even as Greece faces ruin.

“I was in Athens for a short holiday last month and I saw that Greece needs the active support of its friends as it struggles with the impact of the financial crisis. Turkey is among those countries that can help,” he noted.

via EUobserver.com / Enlargement / Greek ‘wall’ is negative symbol, Turkey says.

February 10, 2012
Egemen Bagis: Turkey and the EU Have a Common Future
Adelina Marini, Sofia

It is probably different when you have a friend in the EU institutions. Of course, it is important what that friendship is based upon and also whether there are expectations this friendship to deliver something specific. This is what I was thinking while I listened to the brief press conference of the Turkish chief EU negotiator, Egemen Bagis, and the new president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. I relied on that news conference very much, because there were only photos and video footage from the other meetings of Bagis in Brussels. After all, Turkey is a strategically important partner of the EU, the oldest candidate for a full membership and at the moment a very influential player in the Middle East.

A little context

While I was waiting for that press conference to start, I had a few questions wandering in my mind. Without enlisting them in order of significance, the first that came across was related to an announcement I saw on Twitter yesterday (Feb 7), that against the backdrop of the expectations the Greek coalition government to finalise the text of an agreement with its creditors and the troika, Turkey had stopped the gas deliveries for Greece. The news is especially stressful because it is a signal that maybe Greece is no longer capable of paying even for its gas deliveries, which means that it is practically bankrupt. Besides, stopping the deliveries is happening at a time of one of the severest winters in Europe in general for decades. So, this question was important to be addressed – what were the reasons for halting deliveries, could the EU do something, etc. According to reports in the Turkish NTV, there were technical problems that caused the stop of gas deliveries from Azerbaijan to Turkey and Iran.

The second question, of course, was related to Turkey’s accession process, which has been practically stalled since 2010 when during the Spanish Presidency of the Council was the last time when a chapter in the negotiations was opened. Since then, the meetings with Turkish representatives have been growing more and more uncomfortable for the EU and reveal the growing self-confidence of Turkey as a self-reliant regional power, which no longer needs the EU but which the Union needs more and more.

Naturally, the third issue was the Syria situation, against the backdrop of the Russian and then Chinese veto on a resolution in the UN Security Council, that caused a wave of disappointment and even bewilderment.

Syria

The news conference started with pointing out the friendly relations between Egemen Bagis and Martin Schulz, the purpose of which remained unclear. The European Parliament chief outlined as an especially important topic of his discussions with Bagis precisely Syria. “We, as Europeans, have to be very grateful to the position Turkey chose regarding Syria”, he said, having in mind the support Turkey stated for the pro-democratic protests in the country, violently crushed by Bashar Assad’s regime. And Mr Bagis for his part underlined that this was the right position, because innocent people were killed. It is time the international community to work to convince the Syrian leadership to implement the necessary reforms so that all in Syria live in prosperity and freedom, he added.

The international community is at the moment with tied hands. The US has closed its embassy in Damascus, followed by several European countries. The only connection with Bashar al-Assad’s government is being maintained by Russia. On February 7th, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, visited the country. A fact, which is obviously not to Turkey’s liking. On Saturday, Turkish Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at the annual security conference in Munich that there was a great danger nuclei of confrontation to be created in the region. “We do not want the Cold War logic in our system”, he said and called the Cold War structures in the region to be transformed.

The role Turkey is playing in the region was an occasion Martin Schulz to say that, because of Syria, Turkey had again proven how important it was as a strategic partner of the EU “today and in the future”.

Armenia

What caused my perplexity was Schulz’s reaction to a question of a journalist, regarding an ongoing preliminary investigation in Switzerland, related to a remark Egemen Bagis made regarding the events of 1915, which Turkey denies were a genocide against the Armenian people. For unclear reasons this question evoked laughter with the European Parliament chief, who in the same time refused to comment on preliminary investigations. While Egemen Bagis was answering that question however, Martin Schulz continued to laugh, finding it hard to repress.

The Turkish minister recalled that his country was ready to confront its history and to create a committee of international experts on the Armenian question and reminded about the letter of Premier Erdogan to the government of Armenia in 2005, in which he says that he is ready to confront his history and asks whether Armenia is ready to do the same. In fact, Mr Schulz did not leave the topic without a comment, saying that he wanted to make a recommendation in his capacity of a German and especially of a German president of a multinational European institution, who has to confront his country’s past everyday. “The demons of our past haunt us even today and every day I face my country’s past. Our generation is not guilty for crimes committed in the past but it is responsible to ensure that they do not repeat”.

Turkey and the EU

Was it for the friendly relations with Egemen Bagis or for his personal convictions, but Martin Schulz called on the European Union to stick to its promises for Turkey and its membership to the EU. He recognised that this was a long and difficult way but that was a promise the EU made for Turkey. Schulz explained that both discussed the term “European perspective” which, in his words, was often used for candidate countries. In fact this term is used especially frequently for countries the membership of which seems too distant, like for example the Western Balkan nations. According to Schulz, the European Perspective is a geographic game. This term means to stick to the commitments Turkey to become a member of the EU. For his part Egemen Bagis explained that the European perspective meant that it was time “together to look into the problems, not only because we have common past and heritage but a common future”.

Cyprus

With his words the Turkish minister for European affairs confirmed Turkey’s pledge to ignore the EU Council Presidency of Cyprus, which starts on July 1, unless a solution is found by then to the Cyprus question. He announced that he and the president of the European Parliament had committed to assist the presidents of the two communities – the Turkish and the Greek – to shake hands in agreement before July, “so that this does not turn into an issue but into a solution and an opportunity for the EU-Turkey relations”.

For now it is not clear how Bagis’s meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule went by but the video footage reveals very warm relations. As euinside wrote many times, for long it has been high time a brand new conversation between the EU and Turkey to take place on what the relations between them should be, especially against the background of the really impressing role the country is playing in the Middle East in a moment when Europe has its throat squeezed by severe fiscal and economic troubles. To which, by the way, Turkey also proposes a solution, articulated again by Egemen Bagis – remove the visas and thus you will boost your economy. Turkey is the only EU candidate country which is still under a visa regime with the EU.
- Egemen Bagis: Turkey and the EU Have a Common Future
February 9, 2012
‘French business interested in Azerbaijan and Turkey more than in Armenia’

News.Az interviews Ruslan Kostyuk, doctor of historical science, professor of the International Relations Faculty of the St.Petersburg State University.

Can you predict the decision of the Constitutional court regarding the law criminalizing the so-called ‘Armenian genocide’ recently passed in lower and upper chamber of the French parliament?

It is difficult to predict the decision of the Constitutional Court. The issue of this bill causes concern among socio-political forces in France less than political events. France is looking forward presidential elections soon, and, frankly, the issue of the Armenian “genocide” (hence the quotes below are ours – Ed.) Is not even among top seven issues, which are being actively discussed.

We know that Nicolas Sarkozy himself has initiated the adoption of the aforementioned bill. But in every French party, there are certain forces that favor the adoption of this law, and the forces that believe that the law should not have been adopted and disputes must be left to historians. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict the decision of the Constitutional Court. If the judgment is not in favor of the law, it will still be likely moral and political defeat of the current president of France. After all, everyone knows the anti-Turkish stance of Sarkozy primarily in Ankara’s membership in EU.

Is this law important for Sarkozy? It is primarily the intention to drag Armenian party to their side in anticipation of presidential elections or the reluctance to see Turkey inside the EU?

On the eve of the previous presidential election, he repeatedly said that Turkey’s accession to the EU is hardly possible. He said that for its geographical location Turkey is supposedly not a political Europe. So, by this bill Sarkozy complicates opportunities and prospects of the Turkish Republic in the EU. With regard to the fact that he may have done it before the presidential election, in order to win the Armenian Diaspora on its side, it is worth noting that the French of Armenian origin are really going to support Sarkozy, according to all sorts of polls. However, the French sociologists say that in this case, Sarkozy can count on the votes of 300,000-400,000 people. This is much less than the votes of all the Muslim diasporas in France put together. Sarkozy should better arrange the hunt to win them on his side before the election.

Today we see that the French-Turkish relations are going through not the best of their times. Ankara has already reacted and further plans to take adequate measures on the ‘French’ law. How do you think Azerbaijan should act, as the Turkish partner?

I would not make hasty conclusions, especially as this law does not apply directly to Azerbaijan. It is clear that there are special Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, it is clear that there is the Karabakh conflict, and the condition of the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. However, I repeat, this law does not apply directly to Baku

I have to note that the French business is interested in Azerbaijan and Turkey to a much greater extent than in Armenia. We know perfectly well that the French car manufacturers control up to 25% of the Turkish car market. About a thousand of French companies have direct investments in Turkey. The French patronage took quite a strained position and its representatives tried to dissuade Sarkozy from doing so.

With regard to the issue of the Minsk Group and France, it is obvious that Paris has not been too neutral in Karabakh issue. There were certain actions in favor of Armenia. At the same time, France is one of the leading players in the EU. And if Baku puts the question of removing France from among the Minsk group co-chairs, won’t it harm relations between Azerbaijan and the EU?

Finally, France will soon have presidential elections and Sarkozy may probably be removed from power. And after this the foreign policy of France will likely be corrected by the new government.

Is the same law likely to be adopted in Russia too?

In my opinion, Russia and Turkey have far more complex and fast-evolving relationship, than it was before. In many ways, Turkey comes in the first place as an economic partner of Russia. For example, the sale of certain goods and tourism. Given the weight, which Turkey has, given the fact that the Russian-Turkish political, economic, scientific-technical relations have grown markedly in recent times, I do not think that at the moment the dominant forces of the State Duma will tolerate such a law.

Moreover, here is one more thing, albeit insignificant. It should be noted that representatives of the Yedinaya Rossiya party sit in the same group with representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party of Turkey in PACE. This may not be the most obvious caveat, but still means something.

So I do not think that the adoption of this law is actual for Russia in the nearest perspective.

Hamid Hamidov

News.Az

via News.Az – ‘French business interested in Azerbaijan and Turkey more than in Armenia’.

February 8, 2012