Turkey-EU : Good news upset us

Since there is no way they can say, "Well, Turkey has failed to amend its laws adequately to adjust to the EU’s Copenhagen criteria," now they are all watching Turkey to see how the changes made in the laws will be put into practice. They intend to say towards the end of 2004, "See, they have amended the laws but these have been on paper alone. They are not implementing the new laws."

We all know that the "implementation" will be extremely important.

However, part of the judiciary and the bureaucracy is clearly resisting. They are ignoring the changes made in the laws.

It is as if they are giving the message, "These kids are playing the European game, amending the laws, but we make the final decision. This is Ankara." They are sniggering in their corners.

Meamwhile, those who are upset are in a haste, trying to change this situation. Tension is mounting.

Yet, we are not aware off this. We are still trying to ban everything.

1. THE DEFINITION OF TERRORISM IS BEING REVISED:

Article 169 of the Turkish Penal Code has been amended and "terror" has been redefined. Yet, the courts seem still unable to make the distinction between those who give arms to terrorists and those who give them water. That distinction has to be made. We are putting on trial even those who had to help the terrorists because they were threatened.

2. THE NAME BAN CONTINUES:

Though the law on the ban on the use of ethnic names has been scrapped the population offices still implement the old law.

Why?

This is because the Interior Ministry is yet to send a circular to the population offices, a circular which would translate the legal amendment into action.

3. KURDISH COURSES:

Finally we hear that permission to this effect has been given in Batman. Applications received in other places too should be met quickly.

Though the ban on such courses has been lifted, applicants meet with bureaucratic obstacles. They have to deal with elements which would-be organizers of other kinds of courses do not have to deal with.

4. TV BROADCASTING IS NOT STARTING:

No progress has been made at all also on the Kurdish TV broadcasting issue which is seen as the most important step from the standpoint of complying with the Copenhagen criteria.

5. TORTURE CONTINUES:

Though there has been a drop in torture complaints the numbers are still too high, causing worries. The two most wide reported on cases still remain unresolved.

One of these is the Manisa case. The policemen who were sentenced for having practiced torture and whose sentences have been confirmed by the appeals court, are still nowhere in sight.

The other case involves the death of Suleyman Yeter, a trade unionist. Ahmet Okutucu, the policeman who is wanted for breaking Yeter’s neck, has still not been found.

6. WORSHIPPING NOT PERMITTED:

Similarly, the legal amendments that permits the foreign nationals living in Turkey to open places of worship, cannot be implemented.

Conclusion: Why are they resisting?
This resistence stems from a segment of both the bureaucracy and the judiciary. It is as if some are trying to prevent change.

If the "monitoring committee" consisting of three ministers cannot alter this tendency we will have to conclude that we are out on a limb and we are sawing off that branch.