ERDOGAN: "ENDING POLARIZATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT CULTURES AND BELIEFS IS A MUST"
Speaking at a meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave peace messages to the world. Erdogan hailed a new report prepared by outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a guide which would be discussed for years, adding that today ending polarization between the world's various cultures and beliefs has become a necessity. Saying that starting the new stage of the initiative in Istanbul was meaningful, Erdogan stressed that in the past Istanbul brought together diverse civilizations. He further stated that Turkey, a democratic and a secular state, was a symbol of the Alliance of Civilizations. "European Union membership is our strategic goal in accordance with our modernization ideal," he said. He predicted that the alliance would continue after Turkey joins the EU, adding that it was a long-term project. Also addressing the gathering, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that the Alliance of Civilizations Project would contribute to tolerance and peace, adding that people would embrace diversity and those who push a clash of civilizations would be in the minority. "Every day in the media we hear such words as violence, war, and clash of civilizations, and people who favor peace condemn these," added Zapatero. /Turkiye/
PM ERDOGAN, ZAPATERO ATTEND TURKISH-SPANISH BUSINESS COUNCIL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero yesterday attended a business forum organized by the Turkish-Spanish Business Council before the meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that the good performance of the Turkish economy in recent years has created an atmosphere ripe for foreign investors. Erdogan stated that some 200,000 Spanish tourists are visiting Turkey each year, while 20,000 Turks are visiting Spain. "We'll increase this number," said Erdogan. For his part, Zapatero stated that cooperation between the two countries should be further increased. "The Turkish economy got through its difficult period," said Zapatero. "Trade volume between the two countries is rising considerably." /Turkiye/
ANNAN: "THE UN IS THE PLACE TO SOLVE THE CYPRUS ISSUE"
The place to solve the Cyprus issue is the United Nations, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters yesterday on the sidelines of the Alliance of Civilizations meeting. "The UN is the place to take necessary steps on the Cyprus issue," he said. "Everyone knows that the case of Cyprus is before the UN." He also said that he would meet with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat next week in Geneva. /Cumhuriyet/
BELGIAN FM: "AN INTERRUPTION IN TURKEY'S EU TALKS WOULD BE DISASTER"
An interruption in Turkey's European Union negotiations would be disaster, warned Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht yesterday. De Gucht stated that expansion of the EU shouldn't be restricted to Bulgaria and Romania and that expansion with the participation of Turkey would be a geostrategic expansion. De Gucht further stated that Ankara seemed inflexible on the Cyprus issue, adding that everyone needed to have an un-rigid stance in order to prevent a halt in Turkey's EU talks. /Milliyet/
AUSTRIAN FM PLASSNIK CALLS FOR A "TIME-OUT" FOR TURKEY'S TALKS
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik on Monday called for a "time-out" in Turkey's European Union accession talks if the controversy on Cyprus is not solved before next month's EU summit. But Turkey's chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan stated yesterday that Ankara will continue a constructive approach to reach a solution on the issues, but will not take unilateral steps at any cost. He warned that any pause in this process could have quite negative consequences, not only for Turkey and the European Union but for the whole region. Plassnik, on her way to a foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, said that it might be wise to agree to a time-out to reduce tensions unless there's an important move between now and the Dec. 14 summit. She did not say how long such a break should last. /The New Anatolian/
BABACAN: "THE EU LOST ITS CHANCE TO BE IMPARTIAL BY TAKING IN GREEK CYPRUS BEFORE A CYPRUS RESOLUTION"
Speaking at a forum in Brazil, Turkey's chief European Union negotiator Ali Babacan said that Turkey wouldn't take any unilateral steps on the Cyprus issue, adding that the EU lost its chance to be impartial by taking in Greek Cyprus as an EU member before a Cyprus resolution was found. "No (Turkish) government could take a step on the issue before the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is brought to an end," added Babacan. Also addressing the gathering, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that the Turkish Cypriots were suffering although they voted for the Annan plan in 2004, while the Greek Cypriots rejected it. /Sabah/
HOLBROOKE: "THE EU KEEPS MOVING THE GOALPOSTS"
Richard Holbrooke, the US' former ambassador to the UN, yesterday said that the European Union was constantly changing conditions for Turkey's accession. Speaking at a roundtable meeting entitled "Are we losing Turkey?" held by the German Marshall Fund in Brussels, Holbrooke asked EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, "If Turkey fulfills every condition, will it become a member?" The senior former diplomat then said, "Whatever Turkey does, the EU is constantly changing its conditions," adding that Europe is always sending hostile messages. Holbrooke said that Turkey deserves more appreciation than Brussels gives and that last week's progress report on Turkey was quite negative. Responding to Holbrooke's question, Rehn said, "Yes, if Turkey fulfills every condition it will become an EU member after a long and difficult path. The parliaments of the EU countries will make this decision, because this is how European democracy works." Holbrooke is seen as a frontrunner for secretary of state should the Democrats in the US ever win the White House. /Cumhuriyet/