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U.S. Ambassador to Turkey ABD'nin Türkiye Büyükelçisi Turkey's geographic position, surrounded by areas of strife and serving as a critical passa-geway for the flow of trade and ideas between Europe and Asia, has always made it a key to U.S. foreign policy. In the immediate post-war era, U.S. relations with Turkey were dominated by our shared security concerns. Turks and Americans fought together in Korea, and NATO membership kept Turkey firmly in the West throughout the Cold War. Our cooperation on security issues continued after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Turkey played a significant role in the Gulf War, UN operations in Somalia, and NATO operations in the Balkans. During the 1990s, the U.S.-Turkish relationship broadened significantly. Economic issues came to the forefront in a process now dubbed "globalization." The development of an East-West energy corridor from the Caspian to Western markets via Turkey led to increased U.S.-Turkish cooperation to ensure the regional stability necessary to expand economic opportunities in Turkey and elsewhere. September 11 accelerated U.S./Turkey cooperation. In Afghanistan Turks com-mand ISAF in Kabul, holding a critical position in the war against terrorism. In the Middle East, Turkey's strong rela-tionship with Israel and solid ties with the Palestinians and Arab governments add strength to the world's renewed efforts to find peace in this region. U.S.-Turkish relations are intertwined in many issues in U.S. foreign policy. The United States began in November 1999 to give the relationship a new title: "strategic partnership." This phrase repre-sented a broad recognition in both our executive and legislative branc-hes of government of the increasing responsibilities of Turkey in the region and globally. It also recognized that the United States has a significant stake in Turkey's ability to integrate into the global economy, move closer to Europe, and contribute to the stabili-zation of a troubled region. This partnership embraces a realistic vision of Turkey and its potential. Istanbul is Europe's largest city. Turkey's economy is a potential power-house on the edge of the Middle East. Turks, 70 percent of whom are under the age of 35, hunger for improved education and health care, economic prosperity, more respect for human rights, and a vibrant democracy. In a very real sense, the relationship matches American interests with Turkish aspirations. Turkey's Electoral Choice The November 3 election demonstrated, first and foremost, the dynamism and openness of Turkey's democratic process. Following a vigorous campaign among parties ranged across the ideological spectrum, Turkish voters expressed their desire for reform by empowering the AK Party with a parliamentary majority. The AKP victory reflected the mood of the Turkish people, not only in Istanbul and Ankara, but all over Anatolia. Yes, it was a vote against practices of the past. But it was also a vote for something: it was a vote for change and new leadership to be given an opportunity to move Turkey towards Europe, to implement the reforms that will secure that goal, and build a better life for Turkish citizens within a secular, democratic, constitutional framework. Mr. ERDOGAN repeated many times that the AKP is not a religious party but a conservative, democratic party, and he will now have the chance to show in practice that this is the case. While the reasons for the AK victory are complex, it seems to me that the most important factor was the party's focused message on aspirations shared by many Turkish citizens, regardless of ideology. Specifically, the AK message stressed Turkey's EU membership goals, the need for more economic and political reforms, more effective government, and stronger anti-corruption efforts. These programs, carried to completion, will ensure that Turkey can move forward rapidly to achieve its full potential. Consequently, the United States views the November 3 election as evidence of Turkey's continuing capacity to promote change while remaining true to its democratic tradition. The Road Ahead The United States congratulates the AK Party on its electoral success. We welcome the opening of the new Parliament. We await the formation of the new Turkish government, and we look forward to working constructively with that government as it pursues its ambitious reform agenda. We recognize that the United States' sustained engagement with Turkey is important to helping the Turkish people realize their aspirations and maintaining the vitality of our strategic partnership. I would like to mention several key areas on which we will need to focus our efforts. EU Accession The leaders of the two parties that will be represented in the parliament, Mr. ERDOGAN and Mr. BAYKAL, have reiterated the priority they attach to advancing Turkey's EU candidacy. The party leaders visited European capitals in the past months to make Turkey's case directly to European governments. Very importantly for Turkey's cause, they have pledged to work together to implement the political and economic reforms needed to prepare Turkey for EU accession. We welcome this develop-ment, and we hope these steps will open wider the road to Turkey's EU membership as the EU makes its further decisions in the weeks ahead. While the U.S. is not a member of the EU, in discussions with our European allies in coming weeks, the United States will reiterate our interest in positive movement toward accession talks with Turkey at the upcoming summit in Copenhagen. Turkey's future is in Europe. Cyprus The United States strongly welcomes the initiative of UN Secretary General ANNAN to present a proposal for a compre-hensive settlement for Cyprus to the two Cypriot leaders as the basis for an agreement. We fully support this step and the ongoing efforts by the Secretary General, his Special Advisor, and the Good Offices Mission to find a just and durable solution to the long-standing division of the island. We encourage the two sides to study the settlement proposal carefully, to provide considered res-ponses, and to work urgently with the Secretary General to achieve a settlement by seizing the historic opportunity that exists before the European Union makes its decisions on enlargement in Copenhagen in December. The task for Turkey and the other concerned parties is to weigh carefully the positive impact of a settlement on their overall interests and take advantage of every avenue to success. Building Prosperity Turkey's ambitious economic reforms in the past months have laid much of the foundation for sustained long-term growth. First, this reform effort brought global standards and values to the economy - increased competitiveness and more transparency to reduce political interference and attack corruption. Second, the reform program already has produced some success: reduced inflation, increased exports, declining interest rates, and a healthier banking sector. Much still remains to be done. Turkey continues to face an enormous debt burden. Many people still are looking for work, and they have been very patient. So we welcome the AK party's stated commitment to implement sound macroeconomic policies and additional reforms. The path of responsible economic policies and further reforms will require some tough decisions but is Turkey's only way forward to new economic growth and prosperity. The Turkish people have paid a high price for past financial instability. They deserve to see economic benefits soon, and turmoil in the markets would undermine their hopes. We hope to see concrete measures that cause inflation rates to continue to fall and provide confidence to markets so that interest rates fall further and the debt burden eases. In this way, Turkey's coming economic growth will spread to all sectors of the society. So measures to be taken must also encourage the markets, that is, the investors and the private sector to create jobs and build Turkey's wealth. The United States intends to remain fully engaged in Turkey's economic reform program. This also means working closely with the private sector to boost confidence, and to encourage investment. We want a new emphasis on trade opportunities. We want to avoid adding to Turkey's already heavy burden of loans. Therefore, we will continue our efforts to pass legislation very soon to expand trade with the use of qualifying industrial zones. We will also seek partnership with the new government and Turkey's world-class business sector to look for other ways to increase U.S.-Turkish trade. Turkish-American efforts are already paying off. Our joint efforts to build an East-West energy corridor resulted in the launch this year of the BTC oil pipeline, and we look forward to the launch of the Shah Deniz gas pipeline soon. Last spring, the U.S. set a priority to foster Turkish- American joint efforts in Afghanistan. We organized seminars to share information and to facilitate U.S.-Turkish business partnerships in Afghanistan. We have already achieved important results, including U.S.-Turkish partnerships on three significant construction projects. A Turkish company that recently won another major contract first learned of the project at a U.S.-sponsored Afghan reconstruction seminar. Political Reform and Human Rights The United States will maintain its support for Turkey's intentions to create a more open, democratic political system. Wherever I travel in this wonderful country, people tell me that they want to continue political reform. In this context, we welcome Mr. ERDOGAN' s commitment to expanding freedoms in Turkey. By fully implementing the reform package passed by Parliament in August 2002, including among other elements important changes to the law on associations, criminalization of trafficking in persons, and education and broadcast rights in traditionally used languages, the new government will bolster Turkey's case for EU membership. But more importantly, it will help build the open society that Turkey's people aspire to and deserve. When people can exercise freely and peacefully their right to choose, whether in matters of personal faith or in politics or economically, they are building the enduring strength of the society. Turkey's leadership for many years has condemned torture and abuse in official custody. Holding officials fully accountable before the law will help to put an end to these practices. Rigorous implementation of those promises would have a tremendous effect on how others view Turkey and how Turks view each other. There is no better opportunity than now to show that Turks demand for themselves the highest standards of civilized behavior. The same is true for serious efforts to deal with corruption, which would greatly strengthen public confidence in the political and economic systems. Speaking at a conference in February 2002, President SEZER pointed out that corruption contributes to economic crises and social injustice, and strongly urged the Turkish government and civil society to mobilize against corrupt practices. At this conference, the Turkish Foundation for Social and Economic Studies (TESEV) presented the results of a poll of private companies, in which 46 percent of those interviewed admitted to having bribed state officials in the previous two years. The survey listed corruption second only to inflation as a concern of those surveyed. Turkey's leaders are increasingly engaged in this issue, and we note the growing political consensus toward lifting the immunity for Turkey's parliamentarians for actions outside the parliamentary debate. Turkey's many friends hope that the new government and parliament will commit to genuine success on these important issues. Iraq The United States seeks a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue, working in the UN with Turkey and the rest of the world community. All of us are acting in accordance with the United Nations resolution of November 8, passed unanimously by the Security Council. It says Iraq must disarm. Turkey has stood up with others to call on Iraq to comply fully. We are pleased by this strong resolution and grateful for Turkey's support in New York. The United States and Turkey have consulted frequently on the situation in Iraq, and I have already shared American thinking with Mr. ERDOGAN. Mr. ERDOGAN has said that Turkey will make its decisions on Iraq based on developments in the UN process. That view is consistent with the U. S. position. Already we have shared fully and frequently with Turkey's previous leadership the details of our thinking in every respect. We will continue in exactly the same way with the new government. Should a crisis come because of Iraq's defiance, we will work to ensure that the safety net under Turkey's economy stays in place, because we want Turkey to re- turn to economic prosperity as soon as possible. We recognize Turkey's significant interests in the future of Iraq, and we are confident that by continuing to work together we will create the best conditions for final success. Turkey's Potential:Ê Meeting the Challenge Together The U.S. friendship with Turkey is long-standing, deep, and broad. As I have noted, our friendship supports Turkey's strong, constitutional, secular democracy and the aspirations of the voters as expressed on November 3. We will follow closely and with great interest the work of the government and parliament in the weeks and months ahead. We wish Turkey every success. Thinking a few years ahead, it is worth noting how our continued engagement can pay off. In realizing its economic reform program, Turkey can be a model for other struggling emerging markets, proof that others can follow this same model and prosper in the globalized economy of the twenty-first century. Its political system is proof that a predominantly Muslim nation with the full range of traditional cultural values has a place at the table with the most developed and democratic states. I have no doubt that if Turkey continues down the road it has chosen, it will have the opportunity to become a full EU member. The end of the Cold War, the rebuilding of the Balkans, the NATO and EU enlar-gement process, and the 9/11 events now have created a new strategic space between Central Europe and Central Asia and down into the Middle East. In this space, the country with the best combination of land area, youthful population, democratic experience, economic potential, and military security is Turkey. Turkey's new political leaders have an extraordinary opportunity to lead their country toward its full potential through increased economic prosperity and expanded freedoms. The United States stands ready to support Turkey in this great endeavor. A strong, prosperous, democratic Turkey moving toward Europe is in the long-term interests of the United States, and reflects the overwhelming desire of the Turkish people. Working together, we can bring this vision closer to reality in the years ahead. 3 Kasım seçim sonuçlarının ABD-Türkiye ilişkileri ile ilgili mesajım açık: Türkiye'ye uzun dönemli yaklaşımımızda hiçbir değişiklik olmayacak. Türkiye'nin coğrafi konumu, çatışma alanlarıyla çevrili olması ve Avrupa ile Asya arasında ticaret ve fikir akışı için çok önemli bir geçit oluşturması, ABD dış politikası için daima kilit önemde olmuştur. Ortak güvenlik kaygılarımız olarak Kore savaşı, soğuk savaş süresince NATO üyeliği, soğuk savaş sonrası Körfez savaşı, Somali ve Balkan'larda BM operasyonları yapıldı. 1990'larda "küreselleşme" ile ekonomik konular ön plana çıkarak ilişkilerimizin boyutunu genişletti. Hazar'dan Batı pazarlarına uzanan Doğu-Batı enerji koridoru için yapılan bölgesel istikrar işbirliği Türkiye için ekonomiyi geliştirme fırsatları da yarattı. 11 Eylül ile işbirliğimiz daha da kuvvetlenerek terörizme karşı Afganistan'da ISAF komutası, Ortadoğu'da Türkiye'nin İsrail ile yakınlaşması, Filistin ve Arap Hükümetleri ile yakın bağlar oluşturuldu. 1999 Kasım itibariyle verilen "stratejik ortaklık" tanımı ile ABD, Türkiye'nin hem bölgesel hem de küresel anlamda artan sorumluluklarını tanımlıyor hem de ABD'nin Türkiye'ye, küresel ekonomiye entegre olması, Avrupa'ya yakınlaşması ve problemli bir bölgede istikrara katkıda bulunması konularındaki güvenini ortaya koyuyordu. 3 Kasım seçim sonuçları Türkiye'nin demokratik süreç içindeki dinamizmini ve açıklığını gösterdi. AKP zaferi geçmişteki uygulamalara tepki niteliğindeydi. Türkiye'nin Avrupa'ya yakınlaşması, buna uygun reformların yapılması ve laik, demokratik ve anayasal çerçevede Türk vatandaşlarına daha iyi bir yaşam sağlayacak bir değişiklik ve yeni liderlik isteğini ortaya koyuyordu. AKP hükümetinin vaat ettikleri mesajlar doğrultusunda yapıcı çalışmalar içine girerek dinci bir parti değil de muhafazakar ve demokratik bir parti olduklarını göstermelerini bekliyoruz. Parti liderlerinin Avrupa Birliği'ne üyelik konusundaki kararlılıklarını takdirle karşılıyoruz ve Türkiye'yi Avrupalı müttefiklerimiz nezdinde destekliyoruz. ABD Kıbrıs konusunda BM Sekreteri ANNAN'ın planını desteklemekte ve bunun adaya adil ve kalıcı bir çözüm getireceğine inanmaktadır. Her iki tarafın da konuya olumlu yaklaşarak çözüm aramalarını öneriyoruz. Refah sağlamak konusunda Türkiye'nin son aylardaki ekonomik reform çabaları şimdiden enflasyonda düşüş, ihraçta artış, faizde düşüş ve daha sağlıklı bankacılık sektörü gibi bazı olumlu sinyaller verdi. Daha yapılacak çok şey var ve enflasyonun düşmeye devam etmesi için somut önlemler görmeyi ümit ediyoruz. ABD Türkiye'nin ekonomik reform konusunda desteğini sürdürecektir. Politik reform ve insan hakları konusunda ABD Türkiye'nin daha açık ve demokratik bir politik system oluşturma isteklerini desteklemeye devam edecektir. İşkence, gözaltında kötü muamele, yolsuzluk ve rüşvet gibi konuların düzeltilmesi halkın politik ve ekonomik sistemlere güvenini artıracaktır. Irak konusunda ABD, BM bünyesinde Türkiye ve diğer dünya toplulukları ile birlikte barıçı bir çözümden yanadır. Irak'ın tutumu sonucu bir kriz olursa ABD Türkiye'nin ekonomik olarak bir zarar görmemesi için gerekeni yapacaktır. ABD ile Türkiye'nin dostluğu çok sağlamdır, geçmişe uzanan köklere dayanmaktadır. ABD Türkiye'yi güçlü, anayasal ve laik demokratik düzende ve 3 Kasım'da seçmenlerin dile getirdikleri şekilde başarılı olması konusunda desteklemektedir. Avrupa'ya doğru uzanan güçlü, refah düzeyi üstün, demokratik bir Türkiye'nin varlığı hem ABD'nin uzun vadeli çıkarları hem de Türk halkının isteğini yansıtmaktadır. Gelecekte birlikte çalışarak bu vizyonun gerçekleşmesini sağlayabiliriz. |