Columnist Ferai Tinc writes on differing interpretations of Turkey’s National Programme. A summary of her column is as follows:
To mark Europe Day, a series of significant meetings were held yesterday and politicians made remarkable statements to underline the importance of Turkey’s bid for European Union membership. Turkey’s short-term goals on its path towards full EU membership were clarified at yesterday’s meetings: to abolish the death penalty and to eliminate obstacles against the right to broadcast and be educated in mother tongue languages.
If we can manage to fulfill these goals, then the EU is likely to determine a specific date for Turkey to begin its accession negotiations at the Copenhagen summit scheduled for the end of this year.
However, a consensus hasn’t yet been reached among the coalition partners. We see that the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP) seem to be in favor of taking the necessary steps before the Parliament recesses for summer. However, the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) disagrees with them.
Is that really the case?
In his speech to mark Europe Day yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz accused certain circles within the MHP of being conservatives who are opposed to any fresh winds in Turkey’s national life. However, these circles within the MHP argued that the National Programme contained no regulation on the right to have education in mother tongue in and asked, “Why is the National Programme being re-discussed? Haven’t we already approved it?”
It is true that the National Programme doesn’t include a clear statement on these issues. This ambiguity was previously criticized by the EU. However, in its National Programme, Turkey promised to sign a number of international agreements regulating such issues under the sub-heading of “Full Enjoyment by All Individuals without Any Discrimination and Regardless of Their Language, Race, Colour, Sex, Political Affiliation, Creed or Religion of All Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion.” Turkey’s signing of such agreements would definitely mean finding solutions to certain political hot potatoes such as the above-mentioned ones.
The MHP has serious concerns on Cyprus since it doesn’t trust Europe. Some believe that if the Greek Cypriots are allowed to join the EU without reaching a permanent solution on the island, then a serious crisis might emerge between Turkey and the EU.
All of these concerns must be addressed immediately.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION