Ecevit To Play His Foreign Policy Cards

STAR- Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on moves Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is likely to make in the near future against political circles favoring early elections. A summary of her column is as follows:
Everybody is now well aware that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit doesn’t want polls to be held this year. Ecevit has already begun playing his strongest cards to counter political circles who favor of holding early elections this fall. Ecevit first stated that the strength of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and People’s Democracy Party (HADEP), which he labeled as two parties ‘posing a threat’ to Turkey’s democratic regime, might be increased at the conclusion of early elections. He emphasized that such a development would damage Turkey’s political stability. With elections on the horizon, the political atmosphere in Turkey is now highly charged with both new hopes and concerns for political parties. Political circles are so caught up in the current of pre-election campaigning that they failed to show much interest in Ecevit’s warnings about the AKP and HADEP. His remarks echoed in the air without anyone paying attention. After Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli’s recent statement that his Nationalist Action Party (MHP) would quit the coalition if the polls weren’t held in November, Ecevit met with his staff to size up the situation. At the end of the meeting, Ecevit seemed ready to play his foreign policy cards, telling reporters, ‘The early elections would have negative repercussions on Turkey’s foreign relations.’ That’s why it seems safe to say that in the upcoming days, disputes over early elections will probably be accompanied by discussions of Turkey’s foreign policy. According to information leaked by diplomatic sources, Ecevit holds two trump cards to play to prevent the polls being held this fall: the issues of Cyprus and Iraq. Ecevit is expected to convey a message that Greece and the Greek Cypriots will try to take advantage of Turkey’s political instability and uncertainty under the commotion of elections. He will contend that such an atmosphere in Turkey will pave the way for Greek Cypriots’ admittance to the European Union.
The premier is again expected to convey similar messages concerning the issue of Iraq. He will probably stress that a Turkey without a government would suffer great economic and political losses if the United States launches a military intervention against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, which carries the risk of culminating with the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Here is an important point that must be underlined: Sukru Sina Gurel recently became Ecevit’s closest ally after resignation of Husamettin Ozkan. He has always been a political figure engaged mostly with foreign affairs rather than domestic events. That’s why it would be no surprise to see the prime minister putting his foreign policy cards on the table, in order to get the upper hand in political problems.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION