TURKPULSE No:14 ............................JANUARY 11th, 2000
TURKEY’S BIGGEST SECURITY-FOREIGN POLICY SECRET
Will the confirmed death sentence of a terrorist leader responsible for the murder of over 30 thousand people cause the split up of a strong coalition that was achieved in Turkey after decades of toil? Certainly Parliament should determine whether or not the death sentence should be carried out, because that is what Article 87 of the Constitution stipulates. But before taking such an important decision that concerns Turkey’s EU membership and its future orientation in the world, the Members of Parliament should know the facts. This may be achieved in a secret parliamentary session. For what it is all about and the reason for this secrecy read the article below.
All Turkey’s political and economic developments seem to have been tied in a knot over a government decision about whether or not the death sentence of Abdullah Ocalan should be carried out. The coalition leaders’ summit tomorrow, 12 January, is awaited anxiously with everyone holding their breath because the difference of opinion between the MHP and the other two coalition partners on this issue may result in the collapse of the Government.
Determined not to miss Turkey’s biggest opportunity by achieving political stability after decades of shaky governments in Parliament, PM Ecevit is considering holding a secret session in Parliament over Ocalan’s death sentence. It will enable the political parties to make up their minds in the light of "knowledge" and not fallacies that have reigned in Turkish diplomacy since the Johnson letter in June 1964.
Why such unprecedented secrecy over Ocalan’s arrest?
Only 10 top people in Turkey knew about the secret operation that ended up in the successful arrest of the terrorist leader in Kenya last February. What was this secrecy all about? What is the reason for parliamentary debates in camera today over a simple decision of carrying out or commuting a very justified death sentence? Why is the nation split over this issue so profoundly?
The answers to these questions concern the country’s biggest diplomatic secret. Who was behind the PKK terrorism for the last 15 years and behind Asala and other terrorist events in Turkey that preceded it? Why was Ocalan’s arrest so important and such a great achievement of the Turkish security forces, if the belief of the world is true that the CIA handed him over to Turkey?
Now Ecevit is preparing to reveal Turkey’s top secrets to parliamentarians. Did the CIA underhandedly hand over Ocalan to Turkey as Tansu Ciller claims or were the American Embassy’s marine guards guarding him against Turkish commandos in the Greek Embassy residence of Nairobi as the American congressmen know? Turkish parliamentarians will now know these facts before they take their decision about Turkey’s future political and economic orientation in the world.
No room for emotion in foreign policy and security orientations
The Turkish nation is determined to follow Ataturk’s path of becoming western and European. It is certain, therefore, that the findings of facts by Turkish political parties and parliamentarians will not result in changing the direction of Turkey’s foreign policy. There is no room for any irrational emotional decisions in Turkey on such issues of national interest. It is a fact that whatever the mistakes of the past are, the Clinton Administration is following a very useful policy towards Turkey today, and the Turkish nation should not discard this opportunity in its fight for catching up with the western civilisation. Hanging Ocalan may result in the loss of very valuable years in Turkey’s accession to the European Union. Acting emotionally against NATO or the United States would hamper the enormous advantages of President Clinton’s current constructive stance towards Turkey.
The time may have come for the nation to know certain realities about security and foreign policy, and it may base these relations with Washington and Europe on a sounder basis, rather than be prejudicial to this co-operation. This is because Turkey’s national interest is dictating it. uras@ada.net.tr, January 11th, 2000