MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen writes about foreign policy issues that the political parties will use in their election campaigns. A summary of his column is as follows:
The next 95 days until elections are held are very critical for Turkey. Elections are going to be held on Nov. 3, at a time when important developments are expected to be taking place, and the difficult task of making hard decision during the next three months will be up to the current coalition government. In the past, parties used only social and economic issues, rather than foreign policy issues, in their election campaigns. However this time around there are some foreign policy matters that need urgent attention and careful planning. That’s why the next three months will be very critical. The first foreign policy issue that we will be hearing a lot about during the campaigns are developments related to the European Union. Turkey needs to pass the necessary EU harmonization laws as soon as possible. The EU Commission is set to issue its Progress Report in October and the Union is going to decide, in December at its Copenhagen summit, whether it’s going to determine a starting date for accession negotiations with Turkey. If the Turkish Parliament approves the ‘EU package,’ this will without a doubt have a positive effect on the EU. However it should not be forgotten that how the laws are implemented will also be taken into consideration by the EU when it makes its decision. Another foreign policy issue that is bound to be used in the election campaigns is Cyprus. Direct talks between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides are set to resume in two weeks, and it looks as if the EU and the United Nations secretary-general are planning to take a more active role in these talks. It is highly likely that the EU is going to make its mind up about the accession of Cyprus (meaning Southern Cyprus) at December’s Copenhagen summit. And that’s why the EU wants a solution to be agreed upon by the two sides by November at the latest. And it is in November that elections are going to be held in Turkey. Consequently, the decision the current government and Denktas will make is going to be of great importance both in terms of the future of Cyprus and Turkey’s relations with the EU. The last foreign policy issue that is going to need attention is Iraq. It’s now clear that the US is determined to take military action against Iraq. However a date for the operation has yet to be decided. If the US decides to launch a strike on Iraq at around the same time as elections in Turkey, then the current government will have to make some very tough choices. Let’s hope that these issues are treated with the seriousness that they deserve and that populist considerations of parties don’t stand in the way of the government making logical decisions.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION