TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on Kofi Annan’s recent visit to Cyprus and other foreign policy matters. A summary of his column is as follows:
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s recent visit to Cyprus leapt to the top of the agenda of our foreign policy this week. What kind of concessions can we expect from Clerides? The secretary-general has made excellent use of his diplomatic skills, and the message that he gave was very clear: Find a solution on the main problems before the end of June. The secretary-general also said that Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto would help the negotiations process and that he himself would keep an eye on the issue from New York. Annan also conveyed the views of the US and the European Union. The attention of both Ankara and Greece is focused on Cyprus.
We are participating in a major way with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established by the UN in Afghanistan. A Turkish major general is to command the ISAF as it provides security around Kabul.
This week President Ahmet Necdet Sezer also met with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts in Cesme. Turkey signed a useful security agreement with the two Balkan states, which are preparing to enter NATO.
The NATO foreign ministers met in Reykjavik, Iceland this week. Russia was also represented and approached by NATO. At the same time, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem made contacts with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts at the sideliners of the meeting.
Perhaps this is unconnected with foreign policy, but we shouldn’t forget the visit of International Monetary Fund Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonnen to Turkey. His Predecessor Carlo Cotaralli was unable to foresee our large economic crisis. He defended to the decision to peg the lira to the dollar, in the end Turkey suffered. We trust Kemal Dervis. We now know that as long as we are dependent on the IMF, Turkey will remain an underdeveloped country.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION