update 02.09.04 Transkript Putin�s Interview with the Turkish Media

und aktuelle Medienberichte erg�nzt

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Die Welt 01.09.04: EU-Kommission uneins �ber T�rkei-Bericht

Verheugen-Report droht peinliche Schlappe

1. September 2004 Berlin - F�nf Wochen vor der Verabschiedung des Fortschrittsberichts zur T�rkei massiert sich in der EU-Kommission Widerstand gegen eine zu positive Beurteilung des Landes ... Bei der letzten Sitzung der Kommission vor der Sommerpause am 19. und 20. Juli habe es unter der Leitung von Prodi eine "offene Diskussion" �ber das Thema T�rkei gegeben ... haben eine Reihe von Kommissaren aus dem christdemokratisch-konservativen Lager ... nach einem m�ndlichen Vortrag von Verheugen �ber den Stand der Arbeiten am T�rkei-Bericht nachdr�cklich ihre Bedenken und Vorbehalte vorgetragen. Sie verwiesen in der Diskussion auf die weit reichenden Folgen, die eine Aufnahme der T�rkei in die EU haben k�nnte. Gest�tzt werden die Einw�nde durch wissenschaftliche Studien, die gro�e finanzielle Belastungen f�r die EU bei einem Beitritt der T�rkei voraussagen. In der Sitzung machte sich darum eine Reihe von Kommissaren f�r eine "kritisch-objektive" Beurteilung der T�rkei stark ...

http://www.welt.de/data/2004/09/01/326705.html

Testfall T�rkei - Der Kommentar

1. September 2004...ist es an den EU-Regierungen, den B�rgern zu erkl�ren, welche Vorz�ge der EU aus einer Mitgliedschaft der T�rkei erwachsen k�nnten - wirtschaftlich, gesellschaftspolitisch, kulturell. Wiegen geostrategische Gr�nde den Umstand auf, dass mit der T�rkei der bev�lkerungsreichste Mitgliedsstaat auch der wirtschaftlich r�ckst�ndigste w�re? Ist es w�nschenswert, dass das m�hsam austarierte Machtgef�ge der EU, mit relativ wohlhabenden und gro�en Staaten als Kern, auseinander bricht? Schon die jetzige Erweiterung st��t die EU an die Grenzen der Belastbarkeit. Nicht nur Zyniker warnen, wer die Axt an die EU legen will, macht sich f�r den T�rkei-Beitritt stark...

http://www.welt.de/data/2004/09/01/326694.html

Pressemitteilung T�SIAD Deutschland: EU-Beitritt der T�rkei - falsche Zahlen

Noch Ende des Jahres soll in Br�ssel entschieden werden, ob es zu Verhandlungen �ber den Beitritt kommt. Diese Entscheidung darf nicht durch falsche Zahlenspiele beeintr�chtigt werden, wie sie von einem Teil der Presse und auch der politischen Opposition betrieben werden...

http://www.tusiad-de.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=60

EU enlargement chief to visit Turkey ahead of key report

The EU's enlargement chief [Enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen] is set to meet with Turkish leaders and representatives of the country's Kurdish minority and civic groups next week before the EU executive pens a crucial report on Ankara's prospects of starting membership talks�

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040901102057.myw38dk5

German FM: Turkey's EU membership may be 10 to 15 years away

02 September 2004 Turkey may join the European Union "perhaps only in 10 or 15 years" but its membership is a key to the fight against international terrorism, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said Thursday. "Turkey is not yet ripe for the European Union and it knows that," Fischer, whose country has been a major supporter of Ankara's bid to join the EU, told the mass-circulation Bild Zeitung. But he said that Turkey "must definitively enter Europe, and that will be the case at the end of accession negotiations -- perhaps in only 10 or 15 years."�

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040902082309.8m01607m

Turkey's EU entry talks could begin by April 2005

02/09/2004 Should the EU decide to start entry talks with Turkey, negotiations could begin as early as April 2005, says Enlargement Commissioner G�nter Verheugen�

http://www.euractiv.com/cgi-bin/cgint.exe?204&OIDN=1508169&-home=home

Poland's vision of EU

September 2, 2004 Poland, fresh from joining the European Union four months ago, is going to campaign hard to bring Turkey - and then Ukraine - into the EU as partners of what President Aleksander Kwasniewski calls "a pluralistic, open and new Europe."�

http://www.iht.com/articles/536936.html

Putin packt aus

01-09-2004 Geradezu euphorisch in Sachen T�rkei gab sich Wladimir Putin vor seinem Besuch in Ankara. "Ich erwarte die Reise in die T�rkei mit Ungeduld, in ein Land, in das ich mich in den letzten Jahren aufrichtig verliebt habe", erkl�rte ein - wohl vor dem Schuldrama in Ossetien - gutt gelaunter Pr�sident gegen�ber t�rkischen Journalisten ... Da die EU f�r Russland zu klein sei, k�nne man doch die in der EU ungeliebte T�rkei auffordern, selbstbewusst auf die EU-Integration zu pfeifen und mit Russland eine besondere Schwarzmeer-Kaukasus-Region gr�nden...

http://russlandonline.ru/rupol0010/morenews.php?iditem=1511

BEZUGSDOKUMENT

President Putin, August 30, 2004, Sochi

Interview with the Turkish Media

http://president.kremlin.ru/eng/text/speeches/2004/08/30/2104_76188.shtml

Ausz�ge:

QUESTION: � What was Turkey for you at that time?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: To be frank with you, at that time, Turkey was above all a NATO country and NATO�s stronghold in this part of the world. � An opponent.

QUESTION: � where are we heading now? What are our two countries moving towards?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Towards cooperation and the prosperity that will accompany us along this road. After all, we can only achieve prosperity for our own citizens and effectively develop our economies if we join forces. This is particularly pertinent for countries such as Turkey and Russia because we have many common interests. We are neighbours on the Black Sea. We have a complex but very interesting shared history. We know very well that there is a bit of everything in this history � wars and times of reconciliation � but strange though it may seem, there has been more cooperation than anything else. �

QUESTION: � Practically for the first time in the history of Russian-Turkish relations a Russian leader is to visit Turkey, and that leader is you. If you were, say, a journalist, how would you assess this visit? What newspaper headline would you choose, �Historic Visit�, �Visit Opens New Era in Relations�?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: �Towards Progress and Prosperity Together�.

QUESTION: That�s a little long for a newspaper headline. It would need trimming. How about �Strategic Partnership� or �Towards a Strategic Partnership�?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: The less cliches, the better, I think.

QUESTION: � as far as I understand, you agree that a new page has been turned in our relations and that we have abandoned old stereotypes and slogans and are moving together towards a more mature, more diverse partnership?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: That is absolutely correct. This is linked to the fact that the world has changed radically. These global changes lead in turn to changes in the relations between countries. We no longer have a bipolar world of two systems at war with each other or waiting for an opportune moment to attack and destroy each other. We are neighbours and we have a lot of common interests. If we unite our efforts we will win and will achieve great results and successes. We understand this and we see that our Turkish partners also understand this. Furthermore, and this is also very important both in my opinion and in that of my colleagues, Turkey has been showing its independence in the full sense of the word, especially of late, and this is greatly increasing its recognition on the international stage�

We must diversify our relations. We have many areas we can work in together. The energy sector, which you mentioned, is just one such area, though it is a very important, significant one. We are ready to continue supplying Turkey with energy, and gas and oil, perhaps. We are also ready to look at transit of energy supplies through Turkish territory to other countries. Several Russian companies are ready to take part in major energy sector projects in Turkey. We are also ready to expand our supplies of machinery to the Turkish economy�

QUESTION: �. The Caucasus, after all, is also part of the Eurasian area. In this region, are Russia and Turkey rivals or are they allies that can resolve the problems together? For example, if Turkey were to be offered the role of mediator in Georgian affairs, how would Russia react?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: My view is that Russia and Turkey are the two countries with the greatest interest in normalising the situation in the South Caucasus. We have a greater awareness of what is going on there and we have a greater interest in normalisation because we are this region�s neighbours. We are closely bound to this region by economic, humanitarian and other ties. I am absolutely convinced that, if we want to find solutions to these problems that are in our interests and in the interests of this entire region, we must under no circumstances act as rivals, and all the more so not get powers from outside the region involved as well. We are perfectly capable of settling the situation ourselves and helping the peoples of this region sort out their problems�.

Die arabische Welt sucht nach Alternativen zum Nationalstaat - Die EU befl�gelt arabische Tr�ume

01.09.2004 Es ist in Mode gekommen, die zwischen "der" arabischen Welt und "dem" Westen bestehenden Unterschiede als unvereinbare Gegens�tze aufzubauen. Dass dies nicht der einzige Weg der Auseinandersetzung ist, zeigt der libanesische Journalist Jihad El Zein. Die "Wiener Zeitung" sprach mit ihm in Alpbach �ber die Probleme der arabischen Welt auf dem Weg in die Moderne, die Chancen eines EU-Beitritts der T�rkei und die Anziehungskraft des europ�ischen Integrationsprozesses....

http://www.wienerzeitung.at/frameless/eu.htm?ID=M15&Menu=212516

Yilmaz: EU-Beitritt soll Demokratie konsolidieren

31.08.2004� Differenzen um einen EU-Beitritt der T�rkei und um die Haltung der EU gegen�ber Russland dominierten den Auftakt der politischen Gespr�che beim Forum Alpbach...

http://www.diepresse.com/Artikel.aspx?channel=p&ressort=eu&id=440415

British Foreign Secretary warns against isolating Turkey from the EU

31 August 2004 Turkey should be allowed to open membership talks with the European Union since isolating the country would not be in anyone's interests, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said�

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040831141604.zqlnlfc1