Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Erdogan's Meeting With Verheugen Is A Success

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Erdogan's Meeting With Verheugen Is A Success

    Erdogan's Meeting With Verheugen Is A Success

    Azg/am
    28 Sept 04

    Europe's Armenians Fail

    Turkey had to review its penal code in the face of the EU. After the
    commission had approved of the project, it was handed over to the
    parliament for discussion. Soon after this the Justice and Development
    party of Turkey offered to include the Adultery Law in the penal code.

    This initiative, allegedly Erdogan's, was met negatively by the
    society. The EU's response was even more negative. In this situation
    the government rejected the Adultery Law from the penal code.

    The EU was very sensitive to the shifts in the Turkish penal
    code. Gunter Verheugen, enlargement commissioner of the European
    Commission, threatened Turkey that it cannot begin membership talks
    before reviewing the penal code. He also warned that all these might
    negatively influence the Commissionâ^À^Ùs October 6 report.

    The EU-Turkey friendship damped. The Turkish press condemned PM Erdogan
    for breaking off relations with the EU by attempting to return to
    Islamic roots. European media in its turn emphasized that Turkey
    isn't ready for membership talks yet.

    Amid this tense situation, Ankara declared that PM Erdogan is leaving
    for Brussels to meet Verheugen on September 23. The Armenians of
    Europe held a congress with a slogan "NO to Turkey!" in Brussels
    hours before Erdoganâ^À^Ùs visit.

    In its September 24 issue Turkish Zaman writes that the Armenians
    brought anti-Turkish propaganda to Brussels by holding the
    congress. There were two members of the European Parliament and Hulya
    Engin from Turkey reporting at the congress, Zaman informs.

    All those reporting at the congress demanded that Turkey's
    acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide be offered as a precondition
    for Turkey's membership. Meantime, they called Turkey responsible for
    Assyrians' and Greeks' genocides. By the end of the congress a joint
    declaration was accepted which demands the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek
    genocides be considered a precondition in EU-Turkey relations. The
    declaration was sent to EU establishments and to member states.

    The Zaman specially notes that the joint declaration was also signed
    by Hulya Engin from the Union of Democracy Human Rights.

    The newspaper's information on the congress is very poor and doesn't
    give the full coverage. Zaman singles out Mikalis Karalambisis'
    speech on the massacres of the Pontos Greeks, which he called the
    second genocide of 20-th century. "We commemorate day of Nazis'
    victims in Europe so should we do in case of Kemalizm's victims",
    Karalambisis said. A Dutch member of the European Parliament Belder
    appealed to Turkey to be respectful towards Christian minorities of
    the country. Baroness Caroline Cox underscored that Turkey should
    recognize not only Armenians' genocide but also those of Assyrians'
    and the Greeks'.

    It's hard to speak about the impression that the congress of the
    Europe's Armenians and the participant's statements left on the EU
    member states. Arriving in Brussels after the congress PM Erdogan
    reached Verheugenâ^À^Ùs complete agreement concerning the penal
    code. He promised to remove the article of the Adultery Law from the
    penal code and Verheugen promised not to cause Turkey troubles by
    the coming report.

    What matters in EU-Turkey relations is neither Verheugen's promise,
    nor European Commission's report, nor Armenians' congress but
    Europe's strategy of keeping Turkey "at hand". Though congresses
    draw international communities attention to the Armenian Genocide,
    Europe's Armenians should organize congresses not only during Turkish
    officials' visits to Europe but on their own initiative.


    By Hakob Chakrian
Working...
X