MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the most important developments of 2002 both in Turkey and the world. A summary of his column is as follows:
Once again, we have reached the end of another year. One cannot say that 2002 was a good year for the world, as it proved incapable of solving many problems which carried over from previous years. Some problems even worsened, and tensions and conflicts continued unabated. The world suffered from terrorism yet again. International terrorism made its mark in a host of countries, from Bali to Yemen. Although going under a different name, such as ‘the struggle for independence,’ violence had a serious impact on the international level. The Chechens in Russia were one example. The Palestinians’ resistance in the Middle East turned into a war. The Holy Land experienced some of the darkest days in its long history. A similar atmosphere of violence also brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Unfortunately, all of these problems are set to carry over into the New Year.
The worst of all is the problem of Iraq. Throughout the year, the world lived under the fearful shadow of President George W. Bush’s plans to attack the longtime US nemesis. It hasn’t happened yet so this perilous shadow will extend into 2003.
This year, there were also developments of a historic dimension. For example, the EU adopted the new euro currency on Jan. 1 and then just a few weeks ago set the stage for an unprecedented enlargement with 10 new members. Another momentous development is the establishment of cooperation between Russia and NATO, thus ushering in a new period of friendship between Moscow and the West. These developments will set the course for 2003 and beyond.
Now let’s review the situation of Turkish politics in 2002. Three very important issues marked this year: the EU, Cyprus and Iraq. In the first months of the year, Turkey’s ambitions were frustrated at the EU’s Seville summit. Casting a hopeful eye on December’s Copenhagen summit, Ecevit’s government hurriedly passed a package of reforms in August. Later, a new government came to power, which managed to get a date at the end of 2004 for our EU membership negotiations. The Cyprus talks started last January, and more than 50 meetings were held, but without any evident results. Later UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented a plan which sparked discussion and debate. These problems will also carry over into 2003.
The Iraq problem has been an enormous headache for Turkey. Ankara sought ways to work both sides of the war question while making preparations for eventual conflict, particularly concerning northern Iraq. This will be one of the most vexing problems in 2003. In any case, I hope that 2003 will be a better year, one ushering in both peace and prosperity.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION