AKSAM- Columnist Ismail Kucukkaya writes on the deadlock in politics in Turkey and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s efforts to break through it. A summary of his column is as follows:
Everyone is talking about elections in Ankara. Conversations between politicians, bureaucrats, ministers and journalists turn on the same subject. The frequently asked questions in the political arena will be clearly heard in the near future. The leaders’ summit President Sezer has called regarding our relations with the EU will direct the route of politics. A clear solution will be reached on the complete abolition of the death penalty and broadcasting in mother tongue languages. Those supporting EU membership and who are in favor of broadcasting in Kurdish and the abolition of capital punishment will confront those who are against making any concessions. If no solution is reached at the leaders’ summit, the possibility of holding elections will be strengthened. At present, our EU membership bid has turned into a matter of life or death for two parties. The Motherland Party’s (ANAP) and Nationalist Action Party’s (MHP) strategies are based on the last train to take Turkey to the EU. ANAP believes that the only way for it to win in the elections is to project an image as the party most strongly supporting admittance to the EU. Yilmaz will give the message that anyone in favor of the EU should vote for ANAP. He would probably say that our dreams of freedoms and getting rich can only be realized by getting ourselves admitted to the EU. The aim of the MHP is to become one of the major parties in the Parliament after a new election. MHP leader Bahceli has become acquainted with the state and the system in his first governmental experience and clearly issued the message that there is no need to be afraid of the MHP. In the words of an aide to Bahceli, ‘If the MHP can get into the Parliament again, it will remain one of the indispensable pillars of politics in Turkey.’ MHP’s policy concerning the abolition of capital punishment and broadcasting in the mother tongues will be a determining factor in its success in the coming elections. Political observers believe that general elections can be regarded as certain to take place in the autumn of 2003.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION