Topic: voa Subject: TURKEY-EUROPE By AL PESSIN/ANKARA From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/28/95 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-20024 TITLE=TURKEY-EUROPE BYLINE=AL PESSIN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S MILITARY OPERATION TO CRUSH KURDISH GUERRILLAS IN NORTHERN IRAQ HAS ATRACTED CRITICICAL RESPONSES IN THE WEST -- INCLUDING THE SUSPENSION OF GERMAN MILITARY AID AND A SECOND WARNING FROM U-S SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER. V-O-A'S AL PESSIN REPORTS FROM ANKARA ABOUT TURKEY'S COMPLEX RELATIONS WITH ITS WESTERN ALLIES. TEXT: TURKISH LEADERS WERE READY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS OPERATION TO TAKE SOME CRITICISM FROM THE WEST. THEY MADE CLEAR IN THE OPENING DAYS OF THE OFFENSIVE THAT THEY BELIEVED IT WAS NECESSARY TO REDUCE ATTACKS INSIDE TURKEY, AND THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE DETERRED. BUT OFFICIALS HERE ACKNOWLEDGE THE STRENGTH OF SOME OF THE FOREIGN REACTION HAS SURPRISED THEM, PARTICULARLY THE GERMAN DECISION TO SUSPEND 105-MILLION DOLLARS OF MILITARY AID. THE WESTERN CONCERN STEMS FROM WORRIES ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF ETHNIC-KURDISH CIVILIANS IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY AND IN THE NEW BATTLE ZONE IN NORTHERN IRAQ. // OPT // INDEED, THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF SOME HARRASSMENT OF CIVILIANS ON THE IRAQI SIDE OF THE BORDER, AND OF SOME VILLAGES BEING HIT BY BOMBS FROM TURKISH AIRCRAFT. BUT THE SITUATION DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AS BAD AS THE EVERYDAY WARFARE IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY IN RECENT YEARS, IN WHICH BOTH THE ARMY AND THE GUERRILLAS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF ABUSES, INCLUDING ASSASSINATIONS, INTIMIDATION AND THE BURNING OF VILLAGES. // OPT // TURKISH LEADERS HAVE SAID THEIR TROOPS OPERATING IN NORTHERN IRAQ ARE UNDER STRICT INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO HARM CIVILIANS, PARTLY BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER SUCH INTENSE INTERNATIONAL SCRUTINY. THEY HAVE ALSO SAID THEY WILL WITHDRAW FROM NORTHERN IRAQ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT SAY THAT COULD BE UP TO A YEAR FROM NOW. THAT COMMENT RESULTED IN THE SUSPENSION OF GERMAN MILITARY AID AND A SECOND WARNING FROM SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER THAT THE OPERATION, WHILE A LEGITIMATE EFFORT IN SELF DEFENSE, SHOULD BE LIMITED IN DURATION AND SCOPE. // END OPT // THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT IS IN A DELICATE BALANCING EFFORT BETWEEN DOMESTIC CONCERNS AND WORRIES ABOUT ITS FUTURE RELATIONS WITH EUROPE. THE TURKISH PUBLIC WANTS ATTACKS BY THE GUERRILLAS AND THE FIGHTING IN THE SOUTHEAST TO END. BUT MANY TURKS ALSO WANT RESTRICTIONS ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE PRESS TO BE EASED FOR EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE KURDS. MEANWHILE, TURKEY HAS REACHED AN IMPORTANT TRADE AGREEMENT WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION, WHICH MUST BE APPROVED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. // OPT // THE ACCORD ENDS CUSTOMS BARRIERS BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE UNION, AND PROVIDES TURKEY WITH LOANS AND AID TO IMPROVE ITS ECONOMY. // END OPT // ANALYSTS SAY IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT TO GAIN THAT APPROVAL IF TURKISH TROOPS ARE STILL IN NORTHERN IRAQ WHEN THE PARLIAMENT VOTES, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS. SOME ANALYSTS SPECULATE PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER LAUNCHED THE IRAQ OPERATION NOW SO IT COULD BE FINISHED BY THE TIME THAT VOTE COMES UP, AND INDEED, THE OFFENSIVE WAS LAUNCHED TO A LARGE EXTENT WITH EUROPE IN MIND. // OPT // THESE ANALYSTS POINT OUT THE OFFENSIVE WAS LAUNCHED JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE CUSTOMS ACCORD WAS REACHED, RATHER THAN DURING ITS FORMULATION. // END OPT // THEY ALSO SAY THAT BY DEMONSTRATING SHE CAN BE TOUGH AGAINST THE GUERRILLAS, MRS. CILLER MIGHT HAVE AN EASIER TIME CONVINCING CONSERVATIVES IN PARLIAMENT TO SUPPORT A PACKAGE OF CIVIL RIGHTS REFORMS SHE HAS PROPOSED, WHICH WOULD LOOK GOOD IN EUROPE. // OPT // CRITICS CHARGE THE 21-POINT PROPOSAL ONLY INVOLVES MINOR CHANGES IN SUCH THINGS AS THE VOTING AGE AND RULES COVERING MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. BUT OTHERS SAY, IF ADOPTED INTACT, THE PRIME MINISTER'S REFORMS WOULD RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM PRISON OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CONVICTED POLITICAL CRIMES, SUCH AS ADVOCATING SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR TURKEY'S KURDS. // END OPT // SUPPORTERS SAY THE REFORMS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY BROADEN THE SCOPE OF LEGAL DEBATE ABOUT THE KURDISH ISSUE, WOULD AT LEAST MAKE A START AT EASING THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL REPRESSION MANY KURDS FEEL, AND COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A PEACEFUL, LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE KURDISH PROBLEM. AND THAT, EXPERTS SAY, COULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARD CONVINCING THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TURKEY IS READY FOR CLOSER ECONOMIC INTEGRATION WITH EUROPE THROUGH THE CUSTOMS AGREEMENT -- A STEP TOWARD POSSIBLE MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. (SIGNED) NEB/AWP/SKH/CF 28-Mar-95 10:51 AM EST (1551 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------