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FOUNDATION OF TURKISH
DIGITAL CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP
At the end of this year, Turkey will have its first digital civil rights
group. Foundational work started in April 2003. Initiator is Dr. Yaman Akdeniz,
the founder and director of Cyber-Rights and Cyber-Liberties (UK).
According to Akdeniz, the organisation aims to protect the interests of all
honest, law-abiding Turkish Internet users with the aim of promoting free speech
and privacy on the Internet in Turkey. The organisation will be actively
involved with the Internet policy-making processes of the Turkish Government,
the European Union, Council of Europe, OECD, and the United Nations. Turkish
cyber-rights will co-operate as much as possible with other civil liberties and
public interest organisations working in this field outside Turkey.
For further information contact Dr. Yaman Akdeniz <lawya@cyber-rights.org>
Iraq
The English Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon went to Turkey in order to discuss
a possible intervention in Iraq with the government. This visit comprises a new
stage in the pressure put on Turkey to make its military installations available
to Anglo-American forces.
Turkey
In Strasbourg Turkey signed Protocol N°6 of the European Convention for
Human Rights, that prohibits the death penalty in peace time. Turkey's
parliament, a country that is a member of the Council of Europe where the death
penalty had no longer been applied since 1984 abolished this punishment for
crimes committed in peace time in August 2002
Commission prepares for Turkey's participation in education, training and youth
programmes
The European Commission and the Turkish Government have just signed a series
of agreements in preparation for Turkey's participation in the Community's
Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programmes from 2004 on. These agreements
are accompanied by a budget of EUR 6 million, of which EUR 4.7 million is
provided by the European Union and the remainder by Turkey. As of next year,
therefore, when the necessary agreement has been reached on arrangements for
participation, Turkey's young people, students, apprentices and teachers will be
able to set up projects or undertake periods of study or teaching in the
European Union or the other countries which make up the 30 current participants,
while Turkish universities, training centres and youth organisations will host
young people or work in partnership with their European counterparts.
"The preparatory measures which we are introducing now at the beginning of 2003
for Turkey are part of the pre-accession strategy. I am delighted that Turkey
will soon be able to participate fully in our programmes and I call on the
universities, training centres and youth organisations to develop links with
their Turkish counterparts", said Viviane Reding, Member of the European
Commission responsible for education, culture and youth.
The Decisions of the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament
establishing the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programmes for the period
2000-2006 provide for the inclusion of Turkey, according to arrangements to be
set out in an agreement with this country. In order to take part, Turkey must
make a financial contribution to the programmes' budgets and follow their rules.
To allow Turkey to benefit fully from participation when the time comes, a set
of preparatory measures must be implemented in advance: information campaigns
must be carried out throughout the country, the national agency which will be
responsible for running the programmes in Turkey must receive training and
equipment and become fully operational, and potential participants must be given
the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the programmes and develop
contacts with a view to future partnerships.
To this end, those appointed by the Turkish authorities have, with the
Commission's help, drawn up work programmes planning the measures to be taken.
On the basis of these work programmes, which were completed in December, the
Commission has signed four financing agreements with the Turkish body
responsible: three of these are intended to fund preparations for the programmes
in Turkey for a period of 15 months (1 October 2002 - 31 December 2003) and the
fourth is intended specifically for pilot actions under the Socrates programme
in the areas of school education (Comenius), higher education (Erasmus) and
adult education (Grundtvig) for the period 2003/2004. The total budget for these
preparatory measures is EUR 6 million, of which EUR 4.7 million (78%) will be
provided by the Commission.
Implementing these preparatory measures in the course of 2003 will help to
prepare Turkey for full integration into the three programmes in 2004 when the
necessary agreement has been reached. It will also provide the opportunity to
develop contacts with the existing networks. Active involvement of the national
agencies in the countries taking part in the programmes will be of great
assistance.
Source:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc= IP/03/56|0|RAPID&lg=EN
Copenhagen
According to diplomatic sources it would appear that during the Copenhagen
Summit five European countries - Germany, Spain, France, the UK and Italy - have
agreed to offer Turkey an "appointment clause" in around 2003 if the country
co-operates on the Cypriot question and EU-NATO questions.
Legislation
Abdulkadir Aksu the Interior Minister is preparing a change to the
legislation governing imprisonment and arrest that, according to him, should
increase the population's support of the forces of order.
The Spirit of
Helsinki
In a special contribution, "Lets take the Turks at their word and bring life
once more to the spirit of Helsinki" Cengiz Aktar, Professor at the University
of Galatasaray, throws light on the dual nature of the challenges that Turkey
and Europe face in order to achieve the integration of this country into the EU.
With this in mind France is the member state who will be able to evaluate
Turkey's present development, placing it in a firm European perspective.
The EIB has just granted 50 million euros for the
financing of 6800 IT classes in 5100 primary educational establishments across
Turkey in support of the launch of a strategy pertaining to information
technology and communication in the Turkish educational system.
Details
Impatience
Although negotiations on Cyrprus, whose northern part is still under the
control of the Turkish army, are encountering difficulties, the Turks believe
they have answered the main demands made of them in order to open the way to EU
integration. In December the heads of State are to decide on the political
message to be given to Turkey.
http://www.lemonde.fr/recherche_articleweb/1,9687,289308,00.html?
EU/NATO
The EU would like to take over the management of the operation "Amber Fox"
in Macedonia, that is at present controlled by NATO. However Turkey’s refusal to
allow the EU to take advantage of NATO’s infrastructure is holding up this
transfer.
More
Disqualification
The Supreme Elections Board (YSK) on Friday disqualified popular former
Istanbul Mayor Tayyip Erdogan, former Islamist prime minister Necmettin Erbakan,
pro-Kurdish leader Murat Bozlak and leading human rights activist Akin Bordal as
candidates in the upcoming November 3rd elections.
http://www.seeurope.net/en/Story.php?StoryID=31839&LangID=1
Electoral Campaign
At less than two months from the early general elections on 3rd November,
Bulent Ecevit, Prime Minister has to face the revolt of the two main parties in
the government coalition. He has found himself caught up in the middle of the
dissension between the nationalists of the National Action Party (MHP) and the
pro-Europeans of the Mother Country Party (ANAP).
http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3214--289869-,00.html
The parliamentary assembly for the Council of Europe has published a report
criticising Turkey on its application of the decisions taken by the European
Human Rights Court.
More
Elections
Bülent Ecevit, Prime Minister has decided to call anticipated elections on 3rd
November. Since he no longer enjoyed a parliamentary majority and
considering that he is 77 years old he accepted that the election be the
last of his political career.
http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3214--285052-,00.html
Turkey versus Central Europe in the EU race
Jean-Raphaël CHAPONNIERE,
jean-raphael.chaponniere@dree.org, Jean-Joseph BOILLOT,
jjboillot@dree.org
The European vocation of Turkey can be traced back to the 19th century. It
was strengthened after the creation of the Republic by Kemal Attaturk in
1923. Turkey was a founding member of the European Council, Nato and OECD
and associated to the EEC since 1963. In 1995, it signed a Custom Union
Treaty with the EU but restricted to industrial products. Turkey respects
the Common External Tariff as well as bilateral treaties with the UE
The Helsinki European Council in December 1999 concluded that "Turkey is a
candidate State destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria
as applied to the other candidate States". An Accession Partnership was
adopted at the European Council of March 2001, but the formal negotiation of
accession has not yet started as they reach the final stage for 10
candidates and progress quickly so far with Bulgaria and Romania. The
Turkish economy is nevertheless more and more integrated with the European
Economic Area. With more than 66 million inhabitants, notably younger than
in the CEECs, and a GDP which will reach 150 Bn € this year, a third of the
12 other candidates, the weight of Turkey cannot be ignored by its neighbors
and companies targeting Emerging Europe. From this short survey two strong
conclusions come out: in ten years, a large gap widened between Turkey and
most of CEECs in terms of stabilization, institutional reforms, productive
and commercial integration with the EU. The coming decade will then decide
if the Turkish economy catches up with the fast transforming CEECs or
remains in the European periphery.
...
Foreign firms are reluctant to invest in such a volatile economy where there
remains several administrative obstacles barrier to investment. These
barriers will be taken down by the government but private sector reluctance
to open its capital to foreign firms will probably remain for some time.
Close to 70 % of FDI in Turkey come from the EU. Contrary to expectations
the Customs Union did not give a significant boost to European FDI in
Turkey. According to Eurostat, the stock of European FDI in Turkey stood at
€ 3,4 billions in 1998 as compared to € 43 billions in Central Europe.
According to OECD, in 1999, foreign firms realized 10% of industrial
production in Turkey as compared to 62% in Hungary and 30% in Poland.
Foreign banks play a minor role in Turkey (less than 5% of total deposits as
compared to 40% in Poland and Hungary) which stands as the only emerging
country where their share which was already small, has diminished between
1994 and 2000. The 2001 banking crisis did create an opportunity for foreign
banks to enter this market however State commitment to help private banks to
recapitalise put a hold on foreign acquisitions.
Turkey has attracted a larger amount of short term capital that was allured
by the high interest rates offered by the Treasury. According to BIS
statistics, outstanding credit by European banks rose until 2000 (US$30
billions) but it has slightly diminished in 2001; outstanding credit to
Central European countries stand at US$80 billions. Differences in the
evolution of spreads on international bonds (Turkey and Poland) show that
markets remain skeptical on Turkey.
Illegal
Immigration
To get into Europe many illegal immigrants take a less
dangerous route through Turkey. Amongst them are an increasing number of
Africans. It is impossible to monitor the 6,808 kilometres of Turkish
coastline and it is just as difficult to control the 2,800 kilometre
mountain border with Irak, Iran or the former border with the Soviet
republic. "It is just as easy to enter this country as it is to set out for
Europe from here", explains Ahmet Icduygu, professor for Political Sciences
who has been studying the flow of illiegal immigrants through Turkey for
many years.
The European Court for Human Rights has condemned
Turkey for the conviction of several MP's from the Turkish
National Assembly and members of the Party for Democracy (DEP -
Demokrasi Partisi). They are accused of separatism and breach of
State integrity. Some of these people were convicted on 8 December
1994 by the State Security Court in Ankara, according to the law
relative to the fight against terrorism.
More
The Turkish military would like to build a special
prison where the PKK leader (Kurdish Workers Party) would continue
his life prison sentence. This solution would avoid the death
penalty which is still applicable in this country, and yet avoid
its abolition that is still rejected by some of the population.
http://www.dpa.de
The European Court for Human Rights has condemned
Turkey for the conviction of several MP's from the Turkish
National Assembly and members of the Party for Democracy (DEP -
Demokrasi Partisi). They are accused of separatism and breach of
State integrity. Some of these people were convicted on 8 December
1994 by the State Security Court in Ankara, according to the law
relative to the fight against terrorism.
More
The Turkish military would like to build a special prison where
the PKK leader (Kurdish Workers Party) would continue his life
prison sentence. This solution would avoid the death penalty which
is still applicable in this country, and yet avoid its abolition
that is still rejected by some of the population.
http://www.dpa.de
Mesut Yilmaz
Mesut Yilmaz, Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the Homeland
Party (ANAP), indicated that the "European Union had identical, clear criteria
applicable to all countries aspiring to join. In Turkey we find this difficult
to understand. We are living as if we were cut off from the rest of the World".
Adhesion
Whilst Turkey celebrates the 9th May and the
government confirms that negotiations for adhesion will be at the end of the
year an article published by Hasan Unal, Professor at the University of Bilkent,
questions the EU's desire to integrate Turkey.
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