BY FERAI TINC
HURRIYET- The new government program is meant as a takeoff in order to bring Turkey to a safe speed and altitude, and is being called a jumping-off point. This program, which is dominated by a list of the ruling party's first-term successes, clearly sets out where this jumping-off will take place, but where it will end up is a bit unclear. The economic section of the program was drawn up with detailed examples, but in some parts there are ambiguous expressions in which some basic facts are reiterated. Such a document listing the government's goals shouldn't have included such ambiguity. Transparency is stressed in the program, but there's no clarity. Can one be transparent without being clear?
Women's rights are explored under the family matters umbrella. It's very important that combating domestic violence is among the government's goals and that `honor killing' is addressed in the program. But while nursing homes are mentioned, shelters for battered women are absent. Do they prefer nursing homes to shelters? But clearly the structure and conditions of these two institutions are completely different.
There are a lot more issues which aren't clear. For instance, the greening and forestation of the suburbs of cities is listed as one of the goals, but there isn't a clear approach on other issues such as encouraging clean energy and limiting the production of polluting and greenhouse gases, all of which are of top international concern right now.
The EU goal has priority in the foreign policy section of the program. But in order to achieve this goal, the mentality of the ruling party's first term - `We'll do what's necessary and move along even if the EU doesn't open the negotiating chapters' - should be abandoned. Because our relations with the EU are by no means one-sided. But if you want to seem to be keeping alive the negotiation process in order to give foreign markets a message of stability, that's different!
We must do what we should, accelerate the negotiations, try to make it possible for the chapters to be opened, and get back on the EU's agenda so as to ensure normalization of the process.
In order to achieve this, reviving public support for the EU goal is necessary. Because this goal can't be limited to just the government program.
It's a pipe dream to take on this target without proper, sufficient staffing. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan being the chief negotiator for our EU talks means that he'll spend most of his time in Brussels. Strengthening and revamping our Secretariat General for EU Affairs is also crucial, but it won't easy for the foreign minister to also be the chief negotiator while tacking such a busy foreign policy plate.
What has the EU got to say about this? Nothing, of course, as it serves the EU's purposes if Turkey messes around.