Libyen-Einsatz: Türkei: Nato übernimmt in Kürze das Kommando
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die Türkei hat ihren Widerstand gegen eine Übernahme des Kommandos über den Libyen-Einsatz durch die Nato aufgegeben. Die Nato solle „so schnell wie möglich“ das Kommando übernehmen, sagte der türkische Außenminister Davutoglu am Donnerstagabend.

Die 28 Nato-Staaten stehen kurz vor einer Einigung über den Einsatz des Bündnisses zur militärischen Durchsetzung einer Flugverbotszone in Libyen. Dies sagten Diplomaten am Donnerstag in Brüssel. Demnach ist vorgesehen, dass die Nato schon in wenigen Tagen die Führung des Militäreinsatzes zur Durchsetzung des Flugverbots übernimmt.

Zuvor hatte der türkische Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu in Ankara erklärt, die Hindernisse für die Führungsrolle der Nato seien beseitigt. Dies berichtete das türkische Staatsfernsehen TRT. Die Übergabe an die Nato solle „so schnell wie möglich“ geschehen, sagte Davutoglu am Donnerstagabend nach einem Telefonat mit seinen Kollegen aus den Vereinigten Staaten, Frankreich und Großbritannien. » | FAZ.NET | Donnerstag, 24. März 2011

We in the Middle East Have Replaced Humiliation with Dignity
THE GUARDIAN: From Libya to Turkey the will of the people has revived a sense of common destiny. This is now our region

The wave of revolutions in the Arab world was spontaneous. But it also had to happen. They were necessary in order to restore the natural flow of history. In our region – west Asia and the south Mediterranean – there were two abnormalities in the last century: first, colonialism in the 1930s, 40s and 50s that divided the region into colonial entities, and severed the natural links between peoples and communities. For example, Syria was a French colony and Iraq a British one, so the historical and economic links between Damascus and Baghdad were cut.

The second abnormality was the cold war, which added a further division: countries that had lived together for centuries became enemies, like Turkey and Syria. We were in Nato; Syria was pro-Soviet. Our border became not a border between two nation states, but the border between two blocs. Yemen was likewise divided.

Now it is time to naturalise the flow of history. I see all these revolutions as a delayed process that should have happened in the late 80s and 90s as in eastern Europe. It did not because some argued that Arab societies didn't deserve democracy, and needed authoritarian regimes to preserve the status quo and prevent Islamist radicalism. Some countries and leaders who were proud of their own democracy, insisted that democracy in the Middle East would threaten security in our region.

Now we are saying all together: no. An ordinary Turk, an ordinary Arab, an ordinary Tunisian can change history. We believe that democracy is good, and that our people deserve it. This is a natural flow of history. Everybody must respect this will of the people.

If we fail to understand that there is a need to reconnect societies, communities, tribes and ethnicities in our region, we will lose the momentum of history. Our future is our sense of common destiny. All of us in the region have a common destiny. » | Ahmet Davutoglu | Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The New Old Turkey
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL – LETTERS: Regarding the Nov. 10 news article "EU gauges member readiness," it is regrettable that the current Turkish government refuses to recognize its continued shortcomings in the areas of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appeared quick to respond in terms of Turkey's patience and how long it might last, but he seems oblivious to the suffering of millions in a country where there is virtually no freedom of speech unless one supports the ruling AKP party's ultimate aim: an all-out Islamic state.

Would Mr. Davutoglu be so quick to respond to questions on whether there are any independent media at all in Turkey capable of reporting freely and without recrimination? Let us not forget that, during the recent debates about changes to Turkey's constitution, the opposition were denied equal and unbiased media access.

I sincerely hope the EU delegation has taken note of this, as well as of the restrictive religious practices currently imposed on Turkey's non-Muslim population. >>> Tayfun Balkan | Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Turkey Says Joining EU Is Still Top Priority
THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey has moved to calm fears that it is drifting away from the West, asserting that joining the European Union is still its "first and most strategic objective".

Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign minister, said in London on Thursday prior to a meeting with William Hague, his UK counterpart, that Turkey was continuing to work very hard on its integration into Europe. He acknowledged that Turkey's accession to the EU had been made harder by opposition from Germany and from France in particular, and by problems over the future of Cyprus, where the dispute with Greece is still very much alive in spite of optimism of a resolution in recent years.

Mr Davutoglu was critical of Western fears that Turkey was turning further to the East, partly as a result of being rebuffed by France and Germany.

The question "Are we losing Turkey?" he said, was an "insulting question". He said Turkey was seeking to bring Western "soft" powers of peace, mediation and multilateralism to its multiple talks with countries in its region. >>> Adrian Michaels in London | Thursday, July 08, 2010

British Conservatives Assail Hague Over Turkey’s EU Membership Remarks
TODAY’S ZAMAN: British Conservative Party members have stridently displayed their objections to Foreign Secretary William Hague’s remarks on Thursday that envisaged “the value of [the] future membership” of “Europe’s biggest emerging economy” -- Turkey.

Roger Helmer, member of European Parliament from the British Conservative Party, deplored Hague’s statement, saying, “British voters will not stand for Turkish membership -- nor will other EU states,” the UK’s Mirror daily reported on Sunday.

“We should also see the value of Turkey’s future membership in the EU in this light. Turkey is Europe’s biggest emerging economy and a good example of a country developing a new role and new links for itself, partly on top of and partly outside of existing structures and alliances, and is highly active in the Western Balkans, the wider Middle East and Central Asia,” Hague said while speaking at London’s Foreign Office on Thursday, which drew the ire of many Euro-skeptic Tories.

Hague said Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will visit Britain next week as London seeks to improve its ties with Ankara. >>> Today’s Zaman, Istanbul | Monday, July 05, 2010

William Hague is clearly a naïve fool, and quite obviously he has a death wish for the West by wanting to Islamize Europe. Go ruin someone else’s civilisation, Mr Hague. The French and Germans have it right: There should be no place for Turkey in the EU.

It’s funny how the British are determined not to take their full part in the European Union, yet when it comes to screwing it up, they're in the first row. How reprehensible that propensity is! – © Mark

Brussels Committed to Turkey's EU Membership
MONSTERS & CRITICS: Brussels - The European Commission, as well as the current and future presidencies of the European Union, on Tuesday reiterated their support for Turkey's entry into the EU, despite resistance in France and Germany.

'The European Commission is committed to the EU accession process of Turkey ... on the basis of the negotiating framework that was adopted by all (EU) member states and Turkey in October 2005,' said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn after talks in Brussels with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

While conceding that Turkey faces a long and difficult journey, Rehn stressed that Turkish membership 'is in the fundamental interest of the EU.'

Rehn's comments were echoed by the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, and by Sweden, its successor.

'We will continue to work on the programme that was laid out together by the French, Czech and Swedish presidencies,' said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who singled out peace talks in Cyprus as 'the single most important issue this year.'

The comments in Brussels came less than 10 days after the leaders of Germany and France both questioned the wisdom of allowing Turkey into the EU. >>> © Deutsche Press Agentur| Tuesday, May 19, 2009

REUTERS: Czechs Hope Turkey's EU Bid Will Progress Before July

BRUSSELS - The Czech EU presidency said on Tuesday it hoped to open at least one more negotiating area in Turkey's slow-moving EU entry bid by the end of its term on June 30.

Turkey, meanwhile, did not make clear whether it was linking the energy area of the negotiations -- which is currently being blocked by its rivalry with EU member Cyprus -- to signing a deal on a major pipeline project with the EU.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was asked after talks with EU officials in Brussels when Turkey expected to sign its commitment to the Nabucco pipeline project and what he expected from Europe in return.

He said Nabucco was a strategic project for Turkey and it would do all it could to see it realised.

A European Union with Turkey as a member would be in a much better position from the perspective of energy security. >>> Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Jon Hemming | Tuesday, May 19, 2009