Why all the gloom?

The minute it was leaked, the entire Turkish media started to slam it. What was strange was the statement being interpreted in the worst possible way. Total gloom dominated the media. The government did not know what to do, so it kept silent. The Foreign Ministry was equally quiet. Those who used to provide their “wisdom” at every opportunity were nowhere to be seen.
We all helped to strengthen the EU’s hand. At times like these, the union looks more to the domestic scene, than to the official stance. If the Turkish public tries to adjust to the worst possible scenario, the EU will act accordingly.
However, if you just take a look at the present version of the draft (it may change by Dec. 17), it doesn’t look like the way it is being portrayed in the media.

For example:
The Cyprus article in the document does not ask Turkey to immediately recognize the south. It implicitly mentions the matter of recognition without noting any deadlines. In other words, they are just repeating the truth known to all of us. There is no clear condition set in the document.

I’ll ask you. Why are we going beyond what the EU said and talking about recognition? Turkey can just tell the union that it will recognize Cyprus once the issue is resolved and that will be it. Why are we punishing ourselves? Let’s leave it to time to resolve it.
If Turkey fails to implement the reforms it has passed or, for example, an extraordinary thing like a military coup happens, the negotiations will be suspended. In the past, the suspension of negotiations was supposed to be suggested by the European Commission, but now eight member-countries can meet and make the suggestion. In other words, there is nothing new.
We take all these statements out of context and concentrate on sentences that imply that Turkey cannot become a member before 2014.

The article about the permanent ban on freedom of movement should not be taken seriously because such a decision would be annulled by the European Court of Justice. (It would violate the EU Constitution and was put there only for domestic consumption.) This is just another issue that we are making a big deal of.
Most importantly, the document speaks of Turkey as a candidate for full membership, while it makes no mention of the third option (special or privileged partnership).
We all ignored these facts. Instead of being pleased, we took a gloomy approach to the whole affair.
In summary, if we concentrate on the bad aspects of any new development, we will make the EU’s job that much easier. We will never get things done with this attitude.
Who will protect Turkey in the media, if not us? Aren’t we aware of the fact that we are helping those who want to isolate us?

Road to EU passes from Mardin

Ahmet Kaymaz was 30 years old. He was a truck driver in Mardin’s Kiziltepe area. He was known as a Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) member. Some members of his family were approached to become village guards, but they refused. His son, Ugur Kaymaz, was 12 years old. He was a primary school student. He was a good student with a good attendance record.
In a police operation last week, both Ahmet and Ugur Kaymaz were killed. Thirteen bullets were extracted from the body of Ugur. Nine of the bullets were fired from a distance of 50 centimeters and aimed at his back. There was a gun found near Ugur. According to his teacher, he was not grown up enough to carry such a weapon.

The Mardin governor announced that these two individuals had died in a firefight. Ugur, who was wearing slippers at the time, took part in it. That was what the governor was saying. Ugur’s mother claimed that the last time she saw her son alive was when a security officer was pushing on her son’s neck with his foot. Ugur’s teacher, who ran towards the scene after hearing gunshots, corroborated her statements.

Now is the time to listen to your conscience. This is the time to sift through the reports, to find the truth and to prove this was no assassination. We are talking about a 12-year-old boy who was killed in front of his house while saying goodbye to his father on his way to another truck run. We are talking about a father who had to stay away from his home for months to make ends meet.
The truth should be uncovered. No one should be protected or hidden from justice. The series of laws we call the Copenhagen criteria is a lifestyle. In short, it is democracy. Democracy is a regime deserved by all in the country. The government is facing a test of sincerity. The way to prove that democracy really has been established in Turkey lies in the efforts to investigate the Kaymaz murders. The road to the EU does not pass through Brussels but through Kiziltepe in Mardin.