14 September 2001, Copyright © Turkish Daily News

NEWS ANALYSIS
Turkey's leading military strategist, retired Gen. Erguvenc, cautions Ankara against both Article 5 as well as against hoping Europe will perceive the PKK differently, following an unprecedented terrorist attack against the US

Turkey should be cautious
on Article 5

Lale Sariibrahimoglu

nato.jpg (10466 bytes) During the Cold War years one of main topics of discussion among the then 14-member (now 19) NATO members centered on the description of an enemy related to Article 5 of the alliance, recalls one of Turkey's leading military strategist, retired Gen. Sadi Erguvenc. Erguvenc served as the commander of the Second Air Force Command based in Diyarbakir in the Southeast before being retired in 1992, the years that the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization was at its peak. He also served at NATO headquarters.

Erguvenc cautions Turkey against expectations that European countries would change their perception of the PKK in the wake of the unprecedented terrorist attack that took place against the United States on Sept. 11.

Referring to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's statement made on Sept. 12, during which he voiced his wish that certain allies of Turkey (European allies) would from now on be more understanding about terrorism, Erguvenc described this linkage as wrong.

"Turkey and the European countries, as well as the United States and the European Union, look at the fight against terror differently. Turkey did not associate the fight against the PKK with human rights. The EU sees the PKK as an issue that should be addressed through economic and political means," recalled Erguvenc.

Turkey should not set hope upon this, warned Erguvenc, adding that Europe would never change the way it looks at the PKK following the terrorist attack against the United States.

NATO and terror

Since 1984 when the fight against the PKK started, Turkey has made intensive efforts to include terror as a whole within NATO's statements concerning threat perceptions. But Turkey has always refrained from taking its fight against the PKK to any international forums. This was to keep the PKK from becoming an interlocutor and a warring party against a state i.e. Turkey, as well as preventing it from becoming an international issue, recalled Erguvenc.

The NATO decision made on Sept. 12 in which for the first in its history the alliance decided to activate Article 5, describing the terrorist attack against the United States as an attack to be considered an attack against all 19 members of the alliance. This decision came soon after the U.S. description of the terrorist act as a war declared against the United States.

"This decision of NATO was necessary to demonstrate cohesion among allies. But when time comes to identify the enemy and to implement Article 5, the United States and the EU might find it difficult to establish a coalition against the enemy due to a possible conflict of interest," cautioned Erguvenc.

Any U.S. retaliation, for example, against Afghanistan, perceiving this country as the source of the attack, might face reactions not only from the European allies but also from powerful countries such as China and Japan.

"Because such an attack on a strategic country like Afghanistan could shift the balances of power in favor of the United States, that might be disliked by the others," stressed retired Gen. Erguvenc.

Once the United States identifies the enemy, thus bringing the activation of Article 5 into the forefront, there is going to be a big debate during which Turkey should refrain from taking the lead in engaging itself in those arguments, warned other military analysts.

Making a choice scenario

One of the main fears of Turkey is a possible U.S. retaliation in the Middle East if the "enemy" is identified as a radical Islamic movement rooted from the region.

Having a serious blow with the unprecedented terrorist attack, the United States may attempt to make use of this to further its power in the region and could manipulate it to reach its own goals, warned Erguvenc.

Seeking to improve its political ties with neighboring Iraq and Syria -- even with Iran, Turkey may be left with making a choice on the part of the United States if the United States, joining forces with Israel, Turkey's main ally in the Middle East, decides to strike targets in the Middle East.

Ecevit, in his statement on Sept. 12, has cautioned the world against immediate linkage of the terrorist act with Islam.

The terrorist attack against the United States raises fears among Turkish reformists that this would further increase Turkey's security concerns dictating the "security first emphasis rather than democratization" in both its foreign and internal policies. This possibility may give an upper hand to those in Turkey who have already been dragging their feet for the implementation of democratic reforms.

Loglu@superonline..com

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Action should be on individual basis and in
concert with the other parties

Ankara backs activating Article 5

SAADET ORUC

Satisfied regarding the decision taken by the NATO Council on Wednesday to activate Article 5, Turkey declares readiness to make contributions to a joint NATO action within the framework of a process which can be formulized as, "on individual basis and in concert with the other parties."

Expressing Turkish satisfaction for the activation of Article 5, Ambassador Onur Oymen, Turkey's Permanent representative in NATO, told the Turkish Daily News in a telephone interview that the decision to reactivate Article 5 confirmed the correctness of the Turkish thesis, which has been declared for years.

"For the first time in its history, NATO took a decision to activate Article 5 to struggle against terrorism. We have been arguing for this for years," Oymen said.

Concerning the application of Article 5, both Oymen and senior Turkish Foreign Ministry officials say that Turkey will act on an individual basis and in concert with the other parties.

"We will also see the steps taken by other allies, as well, before getting into commitments," Oymen said.

"Any demand of support by the United States will be discussed at the NATO Council," Oymen added, in response to a question whether the process will work "automatically."

Turkey, as a country which has suffered from terrorism for years, is pleased to see such a consensus for struggling against terrorism.

"Today, (Thursday) we had a meeting with Russia at the Council of NATO, after which a consensus was reached for broad cooperation against terrorism between NATO and Russia," Oymen said.

Refraining from speculating on the "next step," both Ambassador Oymen and officials in Ankara said that it is not possible to speak exact words about an unclear situation.

However, the political meaning of the activation of Article 5 is commented to be the most important part of the decision. "It means that NATO as a whole is together with the United States and ready to struggle against terrorism," both diplomats and experts say.

Yalim Eralp: 'Article 5 can not be activated for internally-origined terror acts'

A veteran foreign policy expert Yalim Eralp, on the other hand, says that Article 5 can be activated not for the internally-origined terror.

"This article cannot be activated to struggle against the PKK in Turkey, the ETA in Spain and the IRA, which are caused because of the internal facts of these countries," Eralp said, adding that if the responsible of the attack against the United States had been an American taricat, then Article 5 could not have been activated.

Tahir Kose: 'A proper decision'

On the other hand, Tahir Kose, head of NATO Parliamentary Assembly declared Thursday that they welcomed the decision to activate Article 5, which considers an attack against a member state as an attack against the whole NATO member states.

Kose stated that NATO's decision was within the framework of the new identity of NATO.

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 5 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Erdogan receives Lebedev

Erdogan: I believe that until the crime has been clarified, it is wrong to accuse any person, community or state

Justice and Development Party (AK Party/AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Russia's ambassador to Ankara Aleksandr Lebedev at his office in Yildiz, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. At the start of the meeting, Lebedev noted that Turkey was the third largest Muslim country in the world and that he felt pleased that there was a progressive Islamic party in Turkey. Erdogan later said this was probably a bad translation from the Russian as AK Party was not a party based on religious dogma but one that believed in conservative democracy and progressive democracy. Lebedev said he had used the Western understanding of the term when he said "Islamic party" and that he knew AK Party was not a religious party.

Erdogan also drew attention to the long historical relations Russia and Turkey have enjoyed and said there was a need to start a process in the Caucasus and Central Asia based not on competitiveness but on cooperation. Stating that with the Blue Stream project, great trust in Russia had emerged in Turkey, Erdogan said he wished to see trust placed in Turkey by Russia over the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

Pointing out the commentaries concentrating on certain Muslim countries in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attack on the United States, Erdogan said it was wrong to go making accusations before all the evidence was in. "I believe that until the crime has been clarified, it is wrong to accuse any person, community or state," he said.

When questioned about their evaluation of NATO declaring war, both Erdogan and Lebedev said their respective countries' leaders should be the ones to talk to on this. Lebedev said that terrorism had no limits with respect to religion or race. "It is wrong to declare war on this or that country. If a response is to be given, then the headquarters need to be struck. You cannot act against innocent civilians."

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Turkish companies get a grip in Iraq

Turkish companies have proven to be a great success at a Health Fair in Baghdad, earning tenders worth $65 million. The Health Fair was coordinated by the Foreign Trade Undersecretary between Sept. 10-14 upon the request of the Iraqi Health Ministry.

While a tender valued at $44 million consists of the construction of a cancer and diabetes hospital, $15 million corresponds to medicine and medical donation, and $6 million to ambulance tenders.

Some 28 Turkish companies participated in the fair, where the Turkish Health Ministry performed three operations and participated in eight seminars. The Turkish companies also organized eight seminars.

This is not the first trade development in Baghdad under the ongoing embargo. A trade delegation of 200 businessmen under the Presidency of Foreign Trade Undersecretary Kursat Tuzmen has signed trade deals worth $350 million.

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Constitutional Court Committee visits European Court of Human Rights

First stop Strasbourg, second Germany

Led by the head of the Constitutional Court, Mustafa Bumin, the Constitutional Court Committee is expected to visit the head of the European Court of Human Rights, Luzius Wildhaber, and representatives of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Germany within the next two weeks.

Strasbourg being their first stop, members of the committee will attend the Klashnikov/Russian Federation trial as observers first and will then be informed on the Human Rights Document Archive System (HUCOC) website later on.

Round table meetings are to be held with judges from the European Court after visiting officials concerned with human rights.

Contacts in Germany

Paris will be hosting the Committee between Sept. 20-23, whose three members will then move on to Germany while the remainder return home.

Bumin and committee members Ali Huner and Ertugrul Ersoy will be guests of the German Foreign Ministry.

These guests will return home on Sept. 27.

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Turkey lowers flags in respect for victims of savage terrorist attacks

Unavoidable consequences of attacks -- as US State Department officials cancel trips to Turkey, Islamabad Embassy Third Secretary told to leave Afghanistan

Terrorist attacks, acts of savagery and barbarism, which took place on Sept. 11, in the United States have led flags to be lowered halfmast in Turkey, in memory of the people that lost their lives in the inhumane attacks. The flags, which were lowered at 8:00 a.m., yesterday morning stayed at halfway point until 6:00 p.m.

Friends and relatives of Turks in NYC appeal to MFA in concern

The emergency center of the Foreign Affairs Ministry received 306 calls from Turks worried about close ones that might have been affected by the attacks. The Ministry has reported that no bad news was received after the necessary inquiries were made. Inquiries revealed that 50 of the people worried about were safe. Searches concerning the remaining 256 are going on.

On the other hand, inquiries concerning Turks that worked in the World Trade Center are being carried out by the New York Consulate as well. Consulate officials requested all possible information concerning possible affected Turks to be reported to them.

Anyone with any information that might be useful are asked to email what they know to this address: tcbkny@broadviewnet.net or to call 1-212-4509148. No news has arrived saying Turks in and around NY have been affected by the attacks

Passengers disappointed as America and Israel close air space

Turkish Airlines (THY) flights to New York and Miami were cancelled yesterday as well, due to the fact that American airspace has been closed to international flights. The Miami flight, which was to take off at 9:10 a.m., and the New York flight, which was to take off at 12:05 p.m., were cancelled for this reason. The New York flight of Delta Airways was also cancelled while flights from Istanbul to Tel Aviv took place this morning after a one day delay.

Instructions to deport precede instincts to flee

Since terrorist Osama Bin Laden has been declared chief suspect, Afghanistan fears being attacked. With the last Turk leaving Afghanistan a short time ago, Turkey's Third Secretary in its Islamabad Embassy, no Turks are said to be in the country anymore. The Third Secretary, Ramis Sen, was called back to Pakistan by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier than expected.

As foreign residents in Afghanistan have begun to depart from the country, for fear of potential U.S. retaliation, citizens of Arab countries have either been leaving for home or have been setting up shields as well.

Red Cross officials along with U.N. officials and volunteers working in the country departed some time ago.

As security concerns mount, U.S. State Department cancels planned trips to Turkey

Senior level officials from the U.S. Department of State were expected to visit Turkey on Sept. 18. However, the United States Embassy in Ankara stated that the planned visit had been cancelled due to the terrorist attacks in America. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, and Secretary of State Undersecretary Responsible for Europe and Eurasia, Beth Jones, were supposed to visit Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem to discuss Turkish-American relations and to exchange views on regional and international issues.

Tourism in Turkey fears conflict will spread to Mideast

Whereas the vicious attack did not lead to the cancelling of reservations in hotels in and around Antalya, the tourism sector still fears that conflict could spread to the Mideast.

Alanya Touristic Facilities Association Spokeswoman, Gulcin Guner, stated that they were worried about the possible negative effects of the attack on tourism in the next season.

The Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TURSAB) Regional Administrative Chairman Kerim Cavusoglu, said he believed the attack would have negative repercussions on world tourism and added that they hoped wounds would heal in the upcoming months and things would return to normal.

Operators of foreign tourism agencies report that they will be observing happenings in the next few months to see if the conflict will spread to the Mideast. A relieving fact for agencies has been that no reservations have been cancelled after the attacks.

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

US Embassy, consulates open for all services

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara and U.S. Consulates in Istanbul and Adana will be open for all normal public services, including visas, beginning Friday, Sept. 14, an embassy statement said.

For additional information, the following Web sites can be consulted:

U.S. Embassy Ankara: http://www.usemb-ankara.org.tr/

U.S. Consulate General Istanbul: http://www.usconsulate-istanbul.org.tr/

U.S. Consulate Adana: http://www.usconadana.org.tr/