Mr. Foreign Minister,
Excellencies,
I would like to welcome you all to Ankara. Welcome to Turkey. We are happy and privileged to host this important meeting.
At the outset, I would like to stress once again Turkey’s unequivocal support to the Palestinian cause. Not only my Government, but the Turkish people are committed to the Palestinian cause as their own. In Turkey, you are at home.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my greetings to President Mahmoud Abbas for his determination and courage in search of peace and reiterate Turkey’s support for the President and the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian question is at the epicenter of all problems in the region. For almost sixty years, our Palestinian brothers and sisters are longing for a just peace and for the establishment of their own state. This problem has been standing on the way to a lasting peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East. The resulting climate of despair, hatred and pessimism continues to haunt the region and provide a breeding ground for extremism. Hence, keeping up the momentum for a renewed vision of peace is vitally important
Turkey supports a lasting solution through negotiations and on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolutions mainly 242, 338, 1397 and 1515, the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map that would ensure two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders.
We have welcomed the Annapolis Conference as a milestone in terms of setting the ground for reinvigorating the peace process after a seven year break and opening the path for such a solution which would seal the establishment of a viable, contiguous, sovereign and independent Palestinian State by the end of 2008.
We all knew back then that the process would not be an easy one and there would be many obstacles along the way.
The success of this process depends on the true will and determination of the parties to continue negotiations in good faith. The continued commitment of the international community to remain engaged with the process as well as the implementation phase of a future agreement will remain as an inseparable component of efforts to achieve peace.
We all agree that Annapolis meeting is a window of opportunity that should not be missed. If the Annapolis process fails, radicals will win. Cost of failure could be grave. If peace is to triumph, the peoples of the region should live, work and prosper together. There is no alternative to a negotiated settlement.
However, the developments on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since then have given rise to serious concern.
Israel’s decision to build new settlements or expand the existing ones in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contradiction with the Road Map, will hamper peace efforts. On the other hand, Israel’s restrictions on movement and access of goods and people into Gaza have made the lives of the Palestinians living therein even more unbearable. The situation is alarming. The recent Israeli embargo and blockade on the Gaza Strip will further exacerbate the severe humanitarian crisis.
We have called upon Israel to put an end to its present policies which hamper the peace process and inflict a heavy toll on the lives of people living in Gaza and for the immediate opening of border crossings, allowing free flow of goods and other necessities, as well as facilitating the passage of relief aid to Gaza.
There is one other important issue which causes us concern and sorrow and that is the present rift among the Palestinians. This situation continues to harm both the Palestinian cause and the peace process. There would and could not be two Palestines. This unnatural situation must be overcome as soon as possible before it leads to incurable fractures among Palestinians, further jeopardizing their own cause.
The political process started at Annapolis can be successful and sustainable only if it is complemented with an economic process. The establishment of a viable and sustainable socio-economic infrastructure of a future Palestinian state can only be realized through the improvement of the daily lives of the Palestinians in the occupied territories. To prepare the basis for a sustainable economic development, there has to be rule of law, good governance and strong institutions. To contribute to this goal Turkey has launched “Industry for Peace” projects in Palestine within the framework of “Ankara Forum”. As you all know, on November 13, Turkish President Abdullah Gül, Presidents Abbas and Peres signed a Joint Declaration extending their support to establishing industrial zones in the West Bank, in Tarqumiyah. These projects will generate employment opportunities for thousands of our Palestinian brothers and as such significantly improve the life of the Palestinian people. They also serve as a confidence building measure between the two sides. They must be supported and made an integral part of the peace process.
The Palestinian National Authority has embarked on a challenging reform agenda as a comprehensive Palestinian Reform and Development Plan for 2008-2010. We hope that this plan will achieve the desired objectives. In order to assist this process, I have declared in Paris Donors Conference that Turkey will be contributing 150 million US Dollars.
Regarding Lebanon; the country is in a political turmoil. Unless the political crisis is brought to an end, and the President elected, Lebanon may drift into uncertainty. This will have adverse ramifications in the region. We cannot allow this. We must collectively work to bring stability to Lebanon. In this respect, we support the Arab League Plan and we hope that a solution is found within the parameters of this Plan.
We are following the developments in Iraq closely. Iraq’s security and stability is linked to peace in the region. Turkey attaches utmost importance to political unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. Preservation of Iraq’s Arab identity is equally important.
As you may be aware, Turkey has been the target of terror attacks from north of Iraq. Turkish security forces are conducting operations against PKK terrorist targets there. Our only target is to counter PKK terrorism. We do not have any other objective.
Dear Colleague,
Distinguished Guests,
I know that most of you are representing Palestine in European capitals. Taking this opportunity, I want to inform you on the European vocation of Turkey.
EU membership continues to be a strategic objective of the Turkish foreign policy. This goal, as shown by various polls, is strongly shared by our people.
Moreover, during my visits to the countries of the region, I observed that this sentiment of excitement is shared overall. I came to realize, that no matter how divergent views they hold on a wide range of issues, countries in the region are joined in their strong support for Turkey’s bid for EU membership.
We started the accession negotiations with the EU in October 2005 with the mutual objective of full membership. We are opening the chapters one by one.
The screening process, which constitutes the first stage of the negotiations, has already been completed.
We opened and provisionally closed negotiations on the “Science and Research” chapter.
Five chapters have been opened for negotiations until now, namely “Enterprise and Industrial Policy”, “Statistics” and “Financial Control” during the German Presidency, and “Trans-European Networks” and “Consumer and Health Protection” during the Portuguese Presidency.
During the Slovenian Presidency, we expect to open more chapters, which are technically ready for negotiations.
We are continuing with reforms. We are determined to reach higher standards in every aspect of life for our society.
Our membership in the EU will not only promote intercultural dialogue but also help to further improve the existing political and economic relations between Europe and its neighborhood including the Middle East.
Turkish membership in the EU will also help bolster exchange of ideas, constitute an example of acceptance and tolerance and will bring concrete benefits both to Europe and the Middle East such as facilitating land, sea and air transportation, easy access to European as well as Middle Eastern markets.
On the other hand, the largest donor for the Palestinians is the European Union. I know that the EU is actively engaged in many fields including institution building, judicial reform and security sector reform. Moreover the EU is among the co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) for Assistance. Thus the EU is also closely involved in international donor coordination mechanisms.
In this context, we, as a negotiating candidate country will do our utmost to advocate the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people during our regular high-level consultations with the European leaders as well as in the course of our interactions with the European institutions.
Distinguished Guests,
Turkey’s accession to the EU is not similar to another country’s membership. It is beyond that. It means extension of rule of law, reform, modernity and transformation to a wider geography while preserving our cultural values. Our reform process is being followed by many others. Turkey will add power to the EU. It is not a club of culture or religion. The EU will be more powerful with Turkey’s full membership.
In conclusion, Turkey has a unique role to play in the region and within the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Our relations with the Palestinians are very obvious. We also enjoy good relations with Israel. We can use this to the benefit of the Palestinian cause. In fact, this is what we have been doing upon the request and within the knowledge of the Palestinian side. We will continue our efforts to this end vigorously.
The cycle of violence and despair is not and should not be the destiny of the brotherly people of Palestine. Turkey will remain committed to continue to contribute to efforts towards peace and will always stand by her Palestinian brothers and sisters in the realization of their rightful cause.
I wish you success in your deliberations in Ankara.
Thank you.