Press Statement by Ünal Çeviköz, CHP Deputy Chair in charge of Foreign Relations, on the Removal of Turkey from the F-35 Project
The removal of Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet project on grounds that it acquired the S-400 air defence system from Russia has created a new turning point in Turkish – US relations. All necessary measures must be taken to mitigate the economic and political losses our country will incur as a result of its removal from the F-35 project and it must be ensured that Turkish – US relations are once again positioned on a sound ground of mutual respect.
It is clear that Turkey had difficulty in obtaining Patriot missiles and therefore saw its options deplete. It was possible to solve this growing problem through diplomacy before it turned into a crisis that has today exposed our country to certain sanctions. Sadly, that opportunity has been missed.
The acquisition of the S-400 system has the potential to create unforeseeable costs for our country and our future generations. This preference might harm Turkey’s respectable position in the Euro-Atlantic community. Our exclusion from the F-35 project might exact a heavy toll on our economy, foreign policy, and defence industry. Indeed, it has been announced that our removal from the F-35 project, in which we invested in terms of infrastructure and training and had a 7% share in the supply chain, cost our country 9 billion USD. The fact that NATO officials and allies stated that S-400 would pose risks for NATO systems will also have a negative impact on our country’s position in NATO and on our bilateral relations with NATO member countries. To put it more concretely, a more prudential attitude might be adopted concerning our country in NATO exercises.
The perception that Turkey is diverting from the Western world as a result of S-400 acquisition being cemented in the global public opinion is a negative state of affairs for the future of our country. It has now become vital that we pursue a course of politics that is balanced, moderate, and befitting the capacity of our country to overcome the profound economic crisis we are currently experiencing and our foreign policy entrapment.
CHP Dış İlişkilerden Sorumlu Genel Başkan Yardımcısı Ünal Çeviköz’ün Erbil’de Dışişleri Personeline Yönelik Gerçekleştirilen Saldırıya İlişkin Basın Açıklaması
Erbil’de Türkiye Başkonsolosluğu çalışanlarının da bulunduğu restorana saldırı düzenlendiğini üzülerek öğrenmiş bulunmaktayız. Menfur saldırıda maalesef bir Dışişleri personelimiz hayatını kaybetmiş ve iki personelimiz yaralanmıştır.
Erbil Başkonsolosluğu görevlilerimize yapılan menfur saldırıyı şiddetle kınıyor, şehidimize Allah’tan rahmet diliyor, acılı ailesine ve Dışişleri camiasına sabırlar diliyoruz. Saldırının kim veya kimler tarafından gerçekleştirildiğinin derhal tespit edilmesi temennisiyle; saldırıda yaralanan çalışanlarımıza acil şifalar diliyoruz.
CHP Dış İlişkilerden Sorumlu Genel Başkan Yardımcısı Ünal Çeviköz’ün AB Dış İlişkiler Konseyi’nin Doğu Akdeniz Konusunda Türkiye’ye Uygulayacağı Yaptırımlara İlişkin Basın Açıklaması
Avrupa Birliği Dış İlişkiler Konseyi, Türkiye’nin Doğu Akdeniz’deki Fatih ve Yavuz gemileriyle yürüttüğü doğalgaz sondaj çalışmaları nedeniyle Türkiye’ye yönelik dört başlıkta yaptırım kararı aldı. Türkiye’nin en önemli ekonomi ve ticaret ortağı olan AB’nin yaptırım kararları ve yaptırımların devam edebileceğine ilişkin tutumu Doğu Akdeniz’deki tansiyonu düşürecek bir yaklaşım değildir. Avrupa Birliği, Güney Kıbrıs Rum Yönetimi ile Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti arasındaki ihtilaf çözülmeden ve Ada’da tam anlamıyla bir barış tesis edilmeden Güney Kıbrıs’ı üye olarak kabul etmekle büyük bir hata yapmıştı. Avrupa Birliği’nin ikinci büyük hatası ise Annan Planı’na ‘Evet’ diyen KKTC’ye yönelik izolasyonları kaldırmaması olmuştu. Avrupa Birliği, ne yazık ki, üçüncü büyük hatasını da Doğu Akdeniz’deki doğalgaz kaynakları bağlamında yapmaktadır. Avrupa Birliği’nin Türkiye ve KKTC’yi hiçe sayan yaklaşımını kabul etmiyoruz. Avrupa Birliği’nin Türkiye’ye yaptırım uygulaması Kıbrıs Sorununun barışçıl yollarla çözümüne asla yardımcı olmamaktadır.
Biz Avrupa Birliği ile mülteciler sorunu ve terörle mücadelede işbirliği içindeyiz ve bu işbirliğinin karşılıklı yarar sağladığını düşünüyoruz. Bazı AB ülkeleri Türkiye’den geçen enerji nakil hatlarından yararlanıyorlar. AB ile uyumlu ve işbirliği içindeki bir Türkiye bölge barışı ve güvenliği açısından da önemli bir kazançtır. Bütün bu gerçekler ışığında AB’nin Türkiye’ye yaptırım uygulaması haksız ve meşru dayanaklardan yoksun bir davranış olmuştur. Sayın Dışişleri Bakanı’nın yaptırımları küçümseyen ifadesiyse AKP İktidarının Türkiye – AB ilişkilerine değer vermediğinin yeni bir göstergesini oluşturmaktadır.
Halkımız bilmelidir ki, Avrupa Birliği’nin yaptırım kararı alacak kadar ileriye gidebilmesinin altında, AKP Hükümetlerinin ülkemizi Doğu Akdeniz’de yalnızlaştıran hatalı dış politikaları yatmaktadır.
Türkiye’nin Doğu Akdeniz’de yalnızlaşmasının, manevra yeteneğini kaybetmesinin ve kaba güce saplanmasının sorumlusu AKP’nin izlediği vizyonsuz, ülkemizin kapasitesiyle uyumsuz, maceraperest politikalardır. Bu politikalar yüzünden, Akdeniz’e kıyısı olan Suriye, Mısır ve İsrail’de Türkiye’nin büyükelçisi yoktur.
Türkiye’nin Doğu Akdeniz’e yönelik politikalarının da bir yandan KKTC’nin haklarını gözetirken, bir yandan da Türkiye’nin Doğu Akdeniz’deki yalnızlığını ortadan kaldıracak şekilde yürütülmesi gerekmektedir.
Türkiye’nin Doğu Akdeniz’deki yalnızlaşmasının ve etkisizleşmesinin önüne geçmek için bölge ülkeleriyle ivedilikle diyalog zemini yaratılmalıdır. Bu kapsamda, Kahire, Şam ve Tel Aviv’deki Büyükelçilerimiz ile Kudüs’teki Başkonsolosumuz ivedilikle yeniden görev yerlerine dönmelidir. Türkiye, Akdeniz’de münhasır ekonomik bölge (MEB) ilanını bütün olasılıkları hesaplayarak en kısa zamanda kapsamlı bir değerlendirme yapmak için masaya yatırmalıdır.
Press Statement by Ünal Çeviköz, CHP Deputy Chair in charge of Foreign Relations on the Sanctions to be Imposed against Turkey by the EU Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the Eastern Mediterranean
The European Union Foreign Affairs Council adopted sanctions against Turkey in four areas because of the natural gas drilling activities Turkey conducts in the Eastern Mediterranean with the ships Fatih and Yavuz. The EU being Turkey’s most important economic and trade partner, EU sanctions decision and the implication that more sanctions could be on the way is not conducive to deescalating the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The European Union had committed a grave error in allowing the accession of Southern Cyprus into the Union before the resolution of the dispute between the Southern Cyprus Greek Administration and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and a complete state of peace being restored on the island. The European Union’s second mistake was not lifting the embargo against the TRNC, which had voted in favour of the Annan Plan. Regrettably, the European Union is making a third mistake with respect to the natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. We do not accept this approach by the European Union that is a snub to Turkey and the TRNC. European Union sanctions against Turkey would in no way help the peaceful resolution of the Cyprus Dispute.
We cooperate with the European Union on the refugee problem and counter-terrorism and think this cooperation is mutually beneficial. Some EU countries benefit from the energy transmission lines transiting Turkey. A Turkey that is compatible and in cooperation with the EU is also an important gain in terms of peace and security in the region. In light of all these facts, EU sanctions against Turkey constitute an unfair action and have no legitimate basis. On the other hand, Mr Foreign Minister’s attitude of dismissal towards the sanctions represents another indication that the AKP government does not value Turkey-EU relations.
Our people should know that the underlying reason for the European Union going as far as adopting sanctions is the flawed foreign policies of the AKP governments that have led to the isolation of our country in the Eastern Mediterranean.
AKP’s adventurist policies lacking in vision and incongruous with the capacity of our country are the reasons why Turkey became isolated, lost its manoeuvring capability, and got stuck in hard power dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean. As a result of these policies, Turkey does not have an ambassador in the Eastern Mediterranean countries of Syria, Egypt, and Israel.
Turkey must conduct its Eastern Mediterranean policies in such a way as to protect the rights of the TRNC on one side and end Turkey’s isolation in the Eastern Mediterranean on the other.
A process of dialogue should be started post-haste with the countries in the region to prevent further isolation and irrelevance of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. For this reason, our ambassadors to Cairo, Damascus, and Tel Aviv and consul general in Jerusalem should be reinstated. Turkey should start work on discussing in detail the declaration of a Mediterranean exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as soon as possible, with all implications that this would create taken into consideration.
Sigma: Paradigm Shift in Turkish Politics? -by Unal Cevikoz
On the evening of 23rd of June, Istanbul lived a rare jubilation to celebrate the election of its new Metropolitan Mayor. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the candidate nominated by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), received more than 54% of the votes which formed a wide margin of close to 10% with his runner-up competitor Binali Yıldırım, the former Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Parliament.
In fact, three months ago, on the 31st of March, İmamoğlu had won the elections again, however, this time with a lower margin, a difference of only 14.000 votes. AKP challenged the results and applied to the Supreme Election Council asking for a renewal. After the re-run of the elections, the difference of votes rose to over 800.000. What happened?
Several factors affected the result of the 23rd of June elections. First, people of Istanbul never believed in the forced and meaningless justification of the annulment of only the metropolitan mayoralty elections, given the fact that other votes on the district mayoralty, municipality council and local mukhtar elections were cast in the same envelope, simultaneously with the former, but were considered to be valid. Same conditions, same ballot boxes, same ballot committees, but allegedly there were irregularities only on the metropolitan mayoralty votes. This was an insult to intellect. The massive reaction demonstrated that voters did not accept confiscation of their right to elect by political pressure imposed on the Supreme Election Council.
Second, citizens of Turkey perceived a pattern of cancellation of election results unless AKP failed to win them. In 2015, parliamentary elections of June 7 had resulted with a hung parliament. There is widespread perception that the then Prime Minister Erdoğan hampered the formation of a coalition government, with a view to implementing articles 104 and 116 of the Turkish Constitution to call for the renewal of elections. So it did on the 1st of November, this time AKP obtaining the majority to form the government by itself. Istanbul metropolitan mayoralty was important for AKP. Erdogan’s ascent in Turkish politics had started there and Islamist political parties, Refah Partisi and AKP successively, ruled Istanbul since 1994. Losing Istanbul would be a serious defeat, hence the renewal. Erdogan himself publicly admitted the intention by saying “we did it in 2015, we will do it again!”.
Third, since the AKP came to power, Turkey has been suffering from a permanent polarization under the influence of strong populism, manipulated nationalism and deepening authoritarianism. Paradigms of politicization of religion versus secularism, sectarianism between Sunnis and Alawites, otherization of ethnicities principally of Kurds, but also Armenians, Greeks and Jews all fueled a growing nationalistic narrative with strong confrontational accent. Ekrem Imamoglu, with his call for unity, tolerance, democracy through non-confrontational and all-embracing narrative launched a very appealing shift in Turkey’s domestic political rhetoric. People had been longing for such a political narrative and they finally found it in person with Imamoglu.
There is, however, a seemingly very important fourth reason why these factors resulted with the formation of a wide, solid and resolute platform. Identification of AKP with all kinds of polarizing, authoritarian and illiberal policies brought about a new platform of democracy formed around an urgent necessity, a new concept and understanding, namely a coalition of antithesis of what has been signified and defined by AKP policies. This platform is not motivated by ethnic, sectarian, religious or ideological drives anymore. It is an understanding which brings masses from all walks of life with a single purpose; to care about their future. It predicates on basic tenets of the Republic. The new paradigm, therefore shapes against all kinds of authoritarianism, populism, manipulated nationalism, narrow conservatism and ethnic discrimination and becomes the anti-thesis of all those nominal denominations.
This new anti-platform brings together people from a wide spectrum of political setting. Social Democrats, Socialists, Kurds, non-radical and non-ultra nationalists, liberals, conservatives as well as religious people partake in this new democratic platform. The fact that Felicity Party (SP) finds itself comfortable in this platform is a strong challenge to those who claim that Islam and democracy are incompatible. İYİ party voters, on the other hand, overcome the confusion they used to have in being unable to disengage Turkey’s Kurdish citizens who believe in democracy from those who opt for an armed rebellion. Equally, many CHP voters now realize that their Kurdish compatriots also experience similar sufferings in terms of poor education, poor health services, unemployment, dire economic circumstances as well as oppression under the lack of rule of law, lack of freedom of expression, lack of free media and non-compliance with the implementation of respect to fundamental rights and freedoms.
This is a major paradigm shift in Turkey’s political life. For decades, Turkey suffered under the divide and rule policies of identity politics. AKP appeared to be the mastermind of such a strategy. Now, domestic politics in Turkey shapes no more around identities, but on a wide platform of democratic ideals and principles. The question is whether this platform will become sustainable and a viable alternative. For this, the burden of responsibility to lead and enhance it will be on the shoulders of CHP. Success of thriving political change in Turkey will also become a reassurance for the future of similar democratic platforms in Europe against the rise of populism and illiberalism.
Mr. Ahmet Unal Cevikoz is a Member of the Parliament from CHP. He was born in 1952 in Istanbul, and preciously was the Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan, Iraq and the United Kingdom.
ODTÜ
TÜİK’e inanan kalmadı, MB Başkanı görevden alındı, ODTÜ’ye polis girdi…21. Yüzyılın Türkiye’si karanlıklara doğru savruluyor…
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Radarları kapalıyken güvenlik risklerinin yoğunlaştığı dönemler hissi kablelvuku ile belirlenecek anlaşılan…
