Into March

BY YILMAZ OZTUNA
TURKIYE- A successful foreign policy for us in March will depend on our working hard. However, certain developments are inevitable, for example, general elections to be held in Greece. Probably Athens’s policy on Ankara won’t change course after the elections. As for our own local elections later this month, if the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) attracts more votes, this will give it a new mandate and determination. Or else it will see the ranks of its opponents swell. Parties besides the AKP and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) are facing their first test since November 2002, and the results of this test will be important.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will have very intensive foreign contacts in March. All of these will be important, as our relations with France in particular need immediate work and should be brought to a higher level. French President Jacques Chirac’s concerns about Turkey must be allayed, or we’ll have difficulty gaining European Union memberhship.
The Cyprus issue is a very serious issue not only for us, but also for the other parties involved. Solving it would make things easier for Ankara as well as Greece, the Turkish and Greek Cypriots, the US, Britain, the EU and the United Nations. Of course in addition to the Iraq issue, the US’ Greater Middle East Initiative will keep Turkey very busy in March s well.