SABAH- Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on the Turkish-EU relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
There are only six weeks now for Turkey to fulfill her short–term commitments to the EU. Everything is up in the air right now. Those promises which also appear in the National Programme will be kept through the enactment of amendments to 64 articles of 17 laws by Parliament before March 24. No one, including the anti-EU lobby in Turkey and those against Turkey in Europe, deemed it possible that Turkey would reach such a point. However, the working through this calendar, albeit with difficulty, alarmed the opposing fronts whose aims were one and the same, and consequently provocations aimed at derailing the process came one after another. As this activity was going on, the Motherland Party’s (ANAP) initiative for the complete abolition of the death penalty was a mistake. In Foreign Minister Ismail Cem’s words, it led to a nonsensical dispute which damaged Turkey’s path. Politics is the art of doing what is feasible. The Nationalist Action Party’s (MHP) stance obstructed Turkey’s ability to act more quickly. Yesterday MHP leader Bahceli stated that discussions over the abolition of death penalty, education and broadcasting in Kurdish and the efforts to provide a political groundwork for the PKK were being conflated. Would not carrying out these policies snatch the initiative away from the PKK? However, at present there are no grounds under which the issues can be discussed calmly and with common sense. Therefore, the government must be satisfied with the amendment to the Constitution effectively abolishing the death penalty except during times of war, close combat or terrorism. However, it must manage to reach an agreement over the granting of freedom to TV and radio broadcasting in native tongues and over opening courses to teach Kurdish. Turkey should not permit a defeated, decimated PKK to stand in its way. Those who know that our EU membership goal is stronger and more precious than our fears may be grieved or they may be subject to slanders. No difficulty or sacrifice should deter those believing in this casue.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION