BY SUKRU KUCUKSAHIN
HURRIYET- President Abdullah Gul will receive Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today for an important meeting. Some have charged that the visit was organized in a rush, but this haste stems from the nuclear crisis between Iran and the US, which the meeting will focus on. In other words, time is running out. Gul will likely give serious signals to Ahmadinejad. As Turkey has gained great respect in the eyes of countries of the region and become a trustworthy country which is taken seriously, Gul believes that Turkey`s role in indirect talks between Syria and Israel is a good example of this, and that Iran feels the same way. Talking with Ahmadinejad today with this confidence, Gul will sketch out for him Turkey`s views of the region and the world.
Gul is expected to say something like this: The US administration is divided over how to deal with Iran. While Senator Barack Obama, who is likely to be the next US president, is expected to take a softer stance, Israel is pressuring the outgoing Bush administration to take action now. This pressure may well be successful, and so time is very short. Clearly diplomacy is the only way of solving the issue, and Europe has an important proposal. I believe you also agree that the proposal is a bit complicated, but very good. We should respond to this offer without delay, because people increasingly believe that Iran is trying to buy time.
Naturally, Iran isn`t the only issue that concerns Gul. I`ve already said I`m curious how he will deal with the European Union issue. From what I can tell, Gul is keeping the subject open and working on possible programs as part of this. Between now and next summer, Gul will pay official visits to several key EU countries and welcome the visiting heads of three EU member states. In addition, he`ll attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and meet with the German administration. In the meantime, EU member state leaders who attend summits on water and other issues in Turkey will also hear from Gul. Moreover, Gul is working on domestic EU programs. The most important of these will bring together the heads of all the legislative and executive branch units dealing with the EU, as soon as Parliament`s new legislative year begins. Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan are all expected to attend. Such an agenda is fitting for a president like Gul.