Erkan's field diary

UK report warns against pause in Turkey-EU talks

A U.K. committee report Friday cautioned against suspending Turkey's talks with the European Union, despite acknowledging that the current crisis sparked by the ongoing case questioning the

Turkish court case worries EU

The constitutional court in Turkey will hear two crucial arguments this week in a case that seeks to ban the ruling party amid growing concern about the effect the...

Turkey wants 3 chapters to open in French presidency

Court case against Turkish ruling party moves closer to verdict

A court case to ban Turkey's Islamist-rooted ruling party inches closer to a verdict, with the prosecutor and party officials set to present their arguments before judges this week.

Turkey's EU hopes in danger as anti-AKP case opens

European lawmakers form Turkey friendship group

A number of European lawmakers have moved to set up a group within the European Parliament to promote Turkey's accession to the European Union, a newspaper reported yesterday.

End of the road to accession?

Last Wednesday I arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. I was almost refused entry for having a Schengen visa not issued by Dutch but by Greek authorities. I walked away much disturbed, thinking that the treatment I got was perhaps a reflection of the anti-Turkish sentiment said to be growing in Holland.

Turkey’s democracy test

A recently endorsed decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was humiliating for Turkey, which should have never been subjected to such a decision and threat of being monitored, as implied by PACE's move.

La Turquie risque de tourner le dos à l’Europe

Europe’s World, no : 8, Printemps 2008                                           

par Mark Almond 

Voilà 40 ans que la Turquie laïque cherche à faire partie de l’Europe. Mais elle a récemment redécouvert les voies de l’Orien

SABAH Newspaper English Edition - National - Message to Turkey about the AK Party

AKP lobbying bears fruit, price a threat of monitoring status

Extensive lobbying by the ruling party bore fruit yesterday, as the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, or PACE, gave its full support to a resolution slamming the closure case

Kurdish Activism in Europe: Terrorism versus Europeanization

06/27/2008 - By Thomas Renard (from Terrorism Monitor, June 26) - Two very different forms of Kurdish activism oppose each other in Europe. The largely unnoticed development of opposing forces could be exploited by European diplomats to terminate terrorist activities carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and soften Europe’s relationship with Turkey. The “old” form of Kurdish activism consists of terrorist attacks, training and fundraising in Europe by PKK members. The “new” form of activism relies on legal and democratic means."

Turkey and Europe will have to shape the future together

Semih İDİZ

PACE vote might set Turkey back

The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, or PACE, is set to vote on a key resolution today that might eventually push Turkey back into monitoring status. The draft resolution,

Peter Luff: The EU should welcome Turkey into the European fold | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Turkey reacts against PACE report on Turkish islands

Turkey expects French commitment to EU entry talks during presidency - International Herald Tribune

What was discussed at PACE?

By ESER KARAKAŞ, STAR

On June 26 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) discussed a pending closure case against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Central Asia » Blog Archive » Turkey’s ‘New Policy’ in Central Asia

Oktay Eksi: This is the two-facedness of the European character

We do not think that any news you read today will be as important as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) decision taken yesterday (Thursday)."

TANKERS, PIPELINES AND THE TURKISH STRAITS - Eurasia Daily Monitor

By John C. K. Daly

Thursday, June 26, 2008

One of the most dramatic stories in a world facing record-high energy prices has been the relentless rise of Azeri, Kazakh and Russian Caspian oil exports from southern Russia since the collapse of the USSR 17 years ago. Since 1991 Turkey has watched with growing alarm as the tanker traffic in the Istanbul Bogazi (Bosporus) and Canakkale Bogazi (Dardanelles), known collectively as the Turkish Straits (Turk Bogazlari), has increased, year after year. Merchantmen can traverse the 200-mile passage under good conditions in about 16 hours."

Best chance yet for a Cyprus settlement by HUGH POPE

NICOSIA-- No one has ever lost money betting on the failure of the Cyprus peace process.

Turkey doesn't deserve to be in EURO 2008

"(Turkey) can go ahead and win the cup in Vienna, but for the Turks the doors of Europe must remain shut," said Austrian politician Joerg Haider

The fate of the Armenian-Turkish border

Stepan GRIGORYAN

'Instability in Turkey would affect Cyprus'

Any instability in Turkey negatively affects northern Cyprus and the negotiation process, said the president of Turkish Cyprus yesterday. Mehmet Ali Talat paid a visit to the Confederation

Modern Turkey offers opportunities | Otago Daily Times Online

Unexpected Peace

The Wall Street Journal (USA), 24 June 2008

Hugh Pope *

Nobody has ever lost money betting on the failure of the Cyprus peace process. But this year, the best chance in decades to end this conflict has quietly crept up on local and international policy makers, and the European Union now has one last opportunity to undo past mistakes.

Très singulière Turquie

Le Figaro (France), 21 juin 2008

Alexandre Adler

Nous sommes, en présence de l’expérience politique turque la plus récente, devant un immense paradoxe. Les crises politiques, d’ordinaire, surviennent à un moment de maturation, de difficultés économiques ou sociales, qui se cristallisent ensemble et aboutissent aux convulsions des sommets de l’État.  Or, dans le cas turc, la crise très sérieuse s’annonce avec les décisions de la Cour constitutionnelle qui pourraient, dans l’hypothèse la plus pessimiste, aboutir à la dissolution pure et simple du parti au pouvoir, et sans doute à une période de semi-anarchie assez sérieuse.

Impressions from a visit to Cyprus

Sylvia TİRYAKİ

Cyprus compromise

Yusuf KANLI

[MONDAY TALK]‘Political deadlock no excuse for Cyprus peace delay'

By YONCA DOĞAN POYRAZ

Turkey's domestic problems should not be an excuse for not engaging with the Cyprus peace process -- especially at a time when Greek Cypriots are moving toward supporting a compromise solution to the Cyprus problem, according to Hugh Pope, a senior analyst based in İstanbul for the International Crisis Group (ICG), an independent conflict resolution and prevention organization.