CUMHURIYET- Columnist Erol Manisali writes on Turkish-EU relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
The real issue we are debating today is not the Cyprus problem but, rather the EU’s policy towards Turkey. Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz is aware of this fact as much as Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Then why does he speak so strangely, knowing full well that solving Cyprus on the EU model would mean handing the island over to Greece and the EU? The answer to that is that local politics, his party’s and his own position within the party require him to do so. How can he say that the aim of the EU is not to solve the Cyprus problem but as it doesn’t intend to include Turkey within its own structure, to take our hands off the island, and then deploy the European army within 3 to 5 years on this strategic locale, just beside the British and the US bases? If he declares all this, he has to add that a new process began in 1989 when it was understood that Europe would not take Turkey within its borders in the aftermath of the Cold War, but just accept it as its backyard. During those years, Yilmaz argued with then Prime Minister Ozal in Paris over the Cyprus issue. Those who harshly criticized him then and now occupy high places on Karen Fogg’s list had blamed Yilmaz for leaving Turkey face to face with the EU. As Mr. Yilmaz is playing for the EU today, he is taking sides with Europe. His own personal conditions require him to do so. How far will Mr. Yilmaz support the EU demands? Will he be saying what will happen if we hand over the Aegean in 2004, and then support the Armenian claims? As is well known, Cyprus is the first item on an agenda of demands. There is a silent plan being carried out to change Turkey into the backyard of Europe. In fact, why did we tear up the Sevres Treaty? We could have lived comfortably as the backyard of Europe as their servants, just like the last Ottomans did!
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION