Turkey to reform further despite negative EU ‘climate’, foreign minister says
23.02.2007 – 22:11 CET | By Valentina Pop
EUOBSERVER / ANKARA – Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul has pledged in
an interview with EUobserver to change "in a few weeks time" a notorious
penal code article curbing free speech, saying that Ankara will continue
reforms even if the "climate" in the EU towards Ankara’s membership bid is
currently not optimal.
"This article 301 overshadows Turkey’s reform progress. Both myself and
Prime Minister Erdogan believe that we have to change this article," Mr Gul
said referring to Turkey’s penal code article which punishes "denigrating
Turkishness" and which has led to charges against journalists and writers
like Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk.
Ankara has been repeatedly urged by the EU to revise or scrap "without
delay" the article in order to ensure freedom of expression, but Mr Gul
indicated that trials against journalists and novelists are also a matter of
mentality within the ranks of Turkish prosecutors.
"When we changed the whole Penal Code [in 2005], our intention was not to
see any more problems because of the expression of thoughts. We made it very
clear that [even if] we might hate it, we might not like it – expression
should be free. But unfortunately, some prosecutors are opening files
against writers and thinkers," he said.
"Now we will change 301, in a few weeks time, before the elections. But we
also need a change in mentality. And this cannot happen over night; it’s a
process."
‘The EU has some problems’
Last December 2006, EU leaders decided to temporarily suspend eight of
Turkey’s 35 accession negotiation chapters due to Ankara’s failure to open
up its ports to trade from EU member state Cyprus – seen by Mr Gul as an
attempt by some EU member countries to "slow down" the speed of accession
negotiations with Ankara.
But the Turkish politician stressed that Ankara will nevertheless continue
to work to meet EU standards.
"We made an assessment: The EU has some problems and these are not
permanent. There will be a better climate, and by that time, we will already
be in a different situation. We will use this time and make progress. Our
commitment to the full process is not just rhetorical," Mr Gul said.
"[EU] Negotiations are still going on, even if some chapters have been
frozen. The German presidency has asked for our negotiating position on
three other chapters without any benchmarks: economy and market policy,
statistics and financial control. We have not slowed down our speed."
Strategic clout
Meanwhile, Turkey is urging the EU not to underestimate the strategic clout
it could offer to the bloc in the Middle East and Central Asia in terms of
security and energy supplies.
"The question is this: is the EU paying enough attention to its future? Who
is planning where the EU will be 30, 50 years from now? Is the EU going to
play an important role in world affairs? Is the EU going to have a say in
security issues or energy transport?," Mr Gul asked.
Whilst criticizing France for its "small politics" regarding Turkey, he
acknowledged the support from new member countries like Poland and Romania.
"They are our friends. The majority of the member countries are in fact
aware of Turkey’s importance and they are very helpful. Many member
countries defend Turkey better than me, I noticed that."
Armenian genocide
Meanwhile, Mr Gul reiterated Turkey’s views on the 1915 Armenian genocide –
an issue which last autumn led to a political clash between Turkey and
France.
Turkey denies that a genocide took place against the Armenians, while in
France parliamentarians have been pressing for a bill which would penalise
the denial of the Armenian genocide.
"What happened in those years was a tragedy. But to call it a genocide, then
we have to find another terminology for the Jews that were killed in
Germany. It really offends us. Many people lost their lives, Turks,
Armenians, Muslims, Non-Muslims. It was during World War 1 and in the
Balkans, for instance, the Turks lost three million people."
Mr Gul criticized French deputies as well as American politicians who want
to pass a bill condemning the Armenian genocide in the US Congress.
"Here it is a national issue, but there it’s very much local. When I asked
the people in France and the US about the "genocide", they didn’t know what
it’s all about."
"Our offer was this: if you are really so interested in this issue, why
don’t we have a committee composed of historians, we asked them – we open
our archives and let them study. But the Armenians are not forthcoming. The
same offer is valid for the American congressmen and the French."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress