Yilmaz: Turkish People Living Abroad Have An Important Role

BRUSSELS (A.A) - 14.06.2002 - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, said on Friday, ''we expect the European Union (EU) to put forward a clearer perspective about Turkey during next week's summit meeting in Sevilla, Spain.''
In an interview with Anadolu Magazine published in Brussels for Turkish people living abroad, Yilmaz said, ''we target at EU's taking a decision during its summit meeting in Copenhagen in December to start full membership negotiations with Turkey. However, we have some serious concerns whether or not we can reach this target till December. Our concerns stem partially from Turkey, and partially from foreign factors.''
''Some circles in Turkey think that the EU would never accept Turkey's full membership and that it would try to gain time by prolonging Turkey's candidacy process. As a result, they do not want to fulfill Copenhagen criteria about cultural rights, and to take serious steps in efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus question. Therefore, we expect the EU to put forward a clearer perspective about Turkey during next week's summit meeting in Sevilla,'' he said.
''The Sevilla Summit can be a means for this. If the EU goes further than Laeken Summit at the Sevilla Summit and clearly states that 'in case of fulfilment of criteria, there are not any obstacles before opening of full membership talks in the following year', this will encourage us not only to complete the remaining reforms but also increase our contributions to solution of Cyprus question,'' Yilmaz said.
When asked, ''if the expected decision does not come out in Copenhagen, that is if green light is not shed for opening of accession talks in 2003, what will happen? Will there be a negative atmosphere like the one that occurred after Luxembourg Summit,'' Yilmaz said, ''a more criticial summit is in question for us when compared to the Luxembourg Summit. Because, we might not record some developments we want to mark in Turkey-EU relations and at the same time some decisions which may disturb Turkey-EU relations can be taken at this summit.''
Yilmaz added, ''when I am saying this, I priorly mention EU membership of the Greek Cypriot administration. If the EU accepts the Greek Cypriot administration as an EU member representing whole of the island while it does not open accession talks with Turkey, this will be a biased and hostile attitude towards Turkey and this will cause a problem in our relations with the EU in the future which might not be compensated.''
YILMAZ SAYS EU WILL ALLOCATE MORE SOURCE TO TURKEY
Yilmaz said, ''we know that the EU did not fulfill some of its financial commitments to Turkey because of Greece's obstacles before the Helsinki Summit in 1999. However, Greece's prevention has been removed considerably following the Helsinki Summit.''
''We can talk about the EU's failure in providing necessary support to Turkey in preparing itself to full membership, instead of fulfilling its commitments to Turkey. EU Commission officials told us that the EU could allocate more source to Turkey from its new budget to be prepared next year. However, all these developments depend on Turkey-EU relations' gaining a new acceleration at the Copenhagen Summit. Therefore, we can expect the EU to undertake more commitments to assist Turkey in preparing itself to the full membership in the coming period. I believe that the EU would keep its promises to Turkey,'' he said.
Yilmaz noted, ''some circles in Turkey think that the EU would not accept Turkey's full membership even if Turkey fulfilled all criteria because of certain prejudices. And our politicians base their statement on these thoughts.''
''But I believe that EU will not show an institutional weakness. I think that the line drawn by Helsinki is binding for the EU and even the changes in the governments will not affect this union's will to be put forth at Helsinki. I believe that the determining point in this issue is Turkey's fulfilment of its obligations,'' Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz noted that EU's evaluation about Turkey was not static in time and it should not be ignored that EU's evaluations had a dynamic course according to changing conditions.
''Europe had a different point of view toward Turkey in the cold war era. In the post cold war era, it had a different point of view, and in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks it has a very different point of view. The EU is building the frame of its future structuring with the European Convention. The most important formation that I have found out at the Convention so far is that how much the EU is pleased with economic earnings, it is that much uneasy about the passivity in international relations and security,'' Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz went on saying, ''I think that EU's being not only an economic power but also a political power will be one of the main targets in future restructuring of the EU. Such a change in the concept will affect EU's point of view towards Turkey. Becuase, an EU which has launched initiatives to become a world power will definitely need Turkey. It will be impossible for the EU to fulfil its targets without Turkey. To this end, I believe that in the end of this strategic evaluation, the EU's support to Turkey will increase in the course of time.''
''But, this will never mean that Turkey will integrate with the EU before fulfilling Copenhagen political criteria. Because, such an integration will mean diluting of principles that form the EU. I think that the EU's sensitivities about this issue will not permit such thing. To this end, I think that Turkey will not only fulfil the criteria but also carry out the activities which will help it utilize its strategic importance and especially, its characteristic of intermingling different cultures and its position in energy strategies,'' Yilmaz added.
YILMAZ: ''THERE ARE STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN ON CYPRUS QUESTION''
Yilmaz said, ''no one expects Turkey or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to give up their rightful case totally. However, having regard to the facts that today's conditions are completely different from the conditions in 1960s and 1970s, that a new structure is in question in Europe, and that Cyprus is envisaged to take place in this structure, everyone has to review its attitude. There are steps that can be taken by both Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides on the Cyprus question. And these steps should be taken as soon as possible.''
Asked what kind of steps he was talking about, Yilmaz said, ''here, it is out of question for Turkey to leave Turkish Cypriots without guarantee, to approve several formations that may enable reoccurrence of history in Cyprus or to take a backward step from the structure we defend in Cyprus which is political equality and bi-zonal structure. I think that Turkish side can make more proposals about other parametres of a solution, for example, in parametres like fundamental freedoms and rights and parametres like distribution of territories.''
Yilmaz added, ''such proposals may at first end prejudices in Europe that Turkish side is preventing a solution in Cyprus or Turkey and Turkish Cypriot side do not want the solution of the question. Secondly, such proposals will force the Greek Cypriot administration to take steps. If it does not take those steps, EU integration of the Greek Cypriot administration will be prevented. To this end, I believe that the most reasonable policy for Turkish side in Cyprus question is the most active and most compromising policy.''
YILMAZ SAYS TURKISH PEOPLE LIVING ABROAD HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE
Yilmaz said, ''Turkey has been showing the greatest interest to its citizens living abroad. However, we should accept the fact that there have been some deficiencies. From time to time, Turkey fails to serve a number of Turkish citizens living in many countries. It should not be forgotten that Turkey has limited capabilities. As a person who undertook responsibilities to solve problems of our citizens living abroad in the past, I saw that problems of our citizens decreased in the course of time. I hope that their problems would be removed completely soon. Our citizens living abroad will be provided with the most concrete benefits in rapprochement between Turkey and the EU.''
''Nearly 3.5 million Turkish people have been living in Europe. They are one of the most important lobbying forces of Turkey in foreign countries. Some of our citizens have the status of dual citizenship. They have the right to cast their votes or become a candidate in elections. As a result, they constitute an importance pressure,'' he noted.
''I think that Turks in Western Europe can have another advantage for us: They can reflect some common values of the EU to Turkey. That is, I think that our citizens living there will have a positive contribution to overcoming the lobby in Turkey against the EU. Turkey cannot benefit from this lobby sufficiently so far. Only, we could make use of the force of this lobby at a limited extent in certain national issues. But, I think that there is a convenient environment for this. And, if this lobby can put forth its two-sided efficiency, it will be easier to mark progress in our relations with the EU,'' Yilmaz said.
Upon a question about the visa procedures applied for only Turkish citizens among other EU candidate countries, Yilmaz said, ''we are outside the Shengen agreement at the moment. And, we are subject to very serious limitations like a country which has not been given EU candidate status. I think that when we start EU accession negotiations, a serious betterment regime will come onto the agenda in time. I do not predict that the visa procedures applied to Turkey will be totally lifted in the short term but I think that there will be serious betterment in time and maybe, as the full membership negotiations are completed, it will totally be lifted.''
When he was reminded that an avenue was named ''Ataturk Avenue'' in Belgium last month and asked about his thoughts, Yilmaz said, ''when I visited European Parliament Speaker, I saw that one of the thickest books in his library was a book named ''Ataturk.'' I think that the Europeans do not have sufficient information about Ataturk, they need to know about Ataturk more as Turkey has come to the agenda in Europe and that they will see how much vital role Ataturk played in modernization of Turkey as they learn more about him.''
Yilmaz added, ''we are pleased with this gesture made in Belgium towards Ataturk and Turks. I guess that this should be an example to other EU countries, at least to all other countries which want to see Turkey in the EU.''