GREEK CYPRUS SIGNS EU ACCESSION ACCORDS
Ten European Union candidate countries yesterday signed their European Union accession accords during an EU summit in Athens, Greece. At a signing ceremony held with the attendance of leaders from the 15 current EU members and the 10 aspirants, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos signed the accession protocol under the title of “President of the Republic of Cyprus.” Claiming that he had signed the protocol on behalf of “all the people of Cyprus,” Papadopulos said, “I am sorry that the Turkish Cypriots did not attend this ceremony.” The parliaments of the 15 current member countries must approve the accession accords for the signatory countries, whose actual membership is slated to begin on May 1, 2004. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul did not attend the signing ceremony on behalf of Turkey, which was instead represented by its ambassador to Greece, Yigit Alpogan. However, Gul later attended a banquet with the EU leaders. Speaking to reporters, Gul said that his government would continue its efforts to find a resolution of the Cyprus issue. “Greek Cyprus’ accession to the EU does not mean that everything is settled,” said Gul. Stressing that Greek Cyprus would not cast a shadow over Turkey’s own EU membership bid, the foreign minister said, “Greek Cyprus could not possibly single-handedly stand against the entire Union.” Gul is to return to Turkey after attending today’s European Conference. /All Papers/
DENKTAS DECLINES GREEK PM SIMITIS’ INVITATION
European Union Term President Greece’s Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday invited Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) leader Rauf Denktas and all TRNC political party leaders to travel to Greek Cyprus to attend talks on the island’s future. “The invitation has been extended to the leaders of all political parties … [but] only [TRNC] opposition groups are attending,” said Denktas. “Some want to use the Union to effect an annexation.” Denktas added that Turkey was acting in line with the 1960 Cyprus independence treaty -- signed by the island’s Turkish and Greek communities plus Great Britain and guarantor countries Turkey and Greece -- and that the European Union would be wrong to ignore the provisions of this treaty. /Turkiye/
FOREIGN MINISTRY, TRNC: “GREEK CYPRUS’ EU ACCORDS ARE ILLEGAL”
Greek Cyprus’s signing European Union accession accords was invalid and illegal, declared the Foreign Ministry yesterday. Commenting on the EU membership accords signed yesterday in Athens, under which Greek Cyprus is set to join the Union in May 2004, a ministry statement called the accords illegal as well as violations of EU norms and international agreements. Also yesterday the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) dismissed the accords as meaningless as they violated international law. In the accords, Greek Cyprus signed as the so-called “Republic of Cyprus,” nominally and illicitly on behalf of both itself and the sovereign TRNC. /Turkiye/
IKPD HEAD BARZANI CLAIMS “VICTORY” IN TURKEY NOT ENTERING N.IRAQ, PROPOSES IRAQI “FEDERAL STATE”
Speaking to Italian daily La Repubblica yesterday, Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (IKPD) leader Massoud Barzani claimed that Turkey’s decision so far not to send troops into northern Iraq represented a “victory” for his group. We want a “federal state” in the region, continued Barzani, alleging that the United States had promised this. Turkey has consistently opposed any such arrangement, saying that would effectively cross a “red line” which could trigger intervention. US forces must not stay in northern Iraq longer than needed, as they would then be occupiers, said Barzani, but Italian troops would be welcome under UN auspices. “However, there is no need for them since there is no instability in the region,” he added. /Aksam/
FOREIGN MINISTRY WARNS IPUK AGAINST POWER-GRAB IN NORTHERN IRAQI CITIES OF MOSUL OR KIRKUK
The Foreign Ministry yesterday reportedly issued a stern warning to the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK), one of the two major political parties in northern Iraq, against any attempts to seize power in the largely Turkmen-populated and oil-rich northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. IPUK representative in Ankara Bahros Galali was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and once again reminded of Ankara’s “red lines” on the issue, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official. “IPUK leader Jalal Talabani is taking an opportunistic approach,” the same official charged. “Talabani is trying to take advantage of the power vacuum in the region. But he should not forget one thing: Kurds are a minority in Iraq, and so is he in the Kurdish groups.” Following Baghdad’s fall to US forces last week, peshmerga loyal to Talabani captured Kirkuk, which subsequently saw skirmishes between the peshmerga and the city’s Turkmen inhabitants, but the Kurds retreated as US forces arrived and took control of the city. Ankara strictly opposes the formation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq and has declared on numerous occasions that any such attempt would be a casus belli for Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
WITH WINDING DOWN OF IRAQ WAR, NATO WITHDRAWS TURKISH DEFENSE AID
NATO yesterday resolved to pull back supplemental defense aids from member Turkey, in light of the winding down of hostilities in the war in Iraq. The alliance assistance, including AWACS early warning aircraft and Patriot missiles, was intended to help defend Turkey against possible attack from Iraq. Both NATO military assessments and Turkish views were taken into account in the decision. The alliance was duty-bound to help defend Turkey, its only member bordering Iraq, under its founding treaty. /Cumhuriyet/
BILL EASING DUAL TRNC-TURKISH CITIZENSHIP PASSES PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION
Parliament’s Interior Commission yesterday passed a bill designed to make it easier for citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to also obtain mainland Turkish citizenship. If passed in the full Parliament, the bill would cut down on the procedures involved in getting dual citizenship. Hasan Aygun, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Divison, said that previous legislation also allowed dual citizenship but was needlessly complicated, adding that the new law would help soften the blow of the illegal economic embargo on the TRNC. /Turkiye/
MHP LEADER BAHCELI: “TURKEY’S CURRENT FOREIGN POLICY IS SHORT-SIGHTED”
At a press conference held yesterday at Nationalist Action Party (MHP) headquarters, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli criticized the government’s current foreign policy. Charging that the government had followed “short-sighted” policies on both the Cyprus and European Union membership bid issues, Bahceli continued, “Unfortunately, the same stance was exhibited on the Iraq war and Turkmen issues.” The MHP leader claimed that the government had been silent on recent developments in northern Iraq and alleged that a proposed $1 billion US aid package had something to do with this. Bahceli also criticized the government over Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s attendance at yesterday’s EU Athens summit where Greek Cyprus signed its EU membership accords. /Turkiye/
AGAR: “TURKEY MUST NOT LET THE CYPRUS ISSUE DETER ITS OWN EU BID”
Regardless of Greek Cyprus signing accession accords with the European Union, Turkey must not allow its own EU bid to be hindered, declared True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday. “Greek Cyprus is set to join the EU under a cloud of disputed borders, but this is the Union’s problem, not ours,” said Agar. “In any case, Turkey must not be swayed from pursuing its own EU bid.” /Milliyet/
CULTURE, TOURISM MINISTRIES SET TO BE MERGED
A bill proposing the merger of the Culture and Tourism Ministries was approved in Parliament yesterday. The bill containing legal arrangements regarding the unification of the two ministries as well as a ministry reorganization plan passed Parliament by a vote of 224-55. /Turkiye/
MORE GOLD, SILVER MEDALS FOR TURKISH WEIGHTLIFTERS IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Turkish weightlifter Halil Mutlu yesterday won three gold medals at the 82nd European Weightlifting Championship held in Lourtraki, Greece. In related news, Aylin Dasdelen won two gold and one silver medal, breaking European records in the snatch, clean-and-jerk and overall categories at the 16th European Women’s Weightlifting Championship held in the same city, following up on teammate Nurcan Taylan’s win of three golds the previous day. At the same competition, Emine Bilgin also scored one gold and two silver medals. /All Papers/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION