TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on the preparation of the new list of deputies and Turkey’s relations with the European Union. A summary of his column is as follows:
This week passed with the discussions on Turkey’s place in Europe and the parties’ attempts at alliance. None of them has ended yet. The European Union will be on the agenda this weekend and the next days again. The headquarters of parties will be full of candidates. The party administrations will prepare the lists to be presented to their leaders. The discussions on alliances will continue.
Except the finishing touches, the list of candidates will be in front of the party leaders, even on their tables or in their pockets on Monday. Most probably the party leaders add or put some names out on Tuesday, which is the established practice.
The list of candidates is a full indicator of party leaders in terms of their capacity, customs, character, psychology and the ability of selection. However, the leaders hadn’t comprehended this and tried to cover their unsuccessfulness.
Which parties having small number of votes will be included in the list of the parties, which consider themselves to be great, will be revealed. Even if this mechanism, called alliance, brings votes by 1%, this rate is very valuable in terms of a threshold of 10% and our terrible system of elections.
As for the EU, we have been talking about this issue since 1959. Now the supporters of the status quo are very pleased and they cannot hide their happiness due to European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen’s recent statements. Those who can tell the voters the meaning of the EU in September and October will receive much more vote.
Actually we are experiencing important days in terms of the fate of Turkey. Our problems, which are more important than the discussions on ‘who will be the deputies' are increasing day by day.”
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION