Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

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REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RWISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN ÖZETi
Turkey, Switzerland aim to put ties back on course
'We would be happy to see a Turkish ambassador in Berne in the near future'
Compiled
",ANKARA-
by TDN Scaff from Wire Dispatches
Switzerland declared Friday that it
would welcome the reappointment of an ambassador
to Turkey's Berne Embassy. "We would be
happy to see a Turkish ambassador in Berne in
the near future," Swiss Interior Minister Ruth
Dreifus told Anatolia news agency in Strasbourg.
"We place great importance on our ties with Turkey.",
The two countries had withdrawn their respec- '
tive ambassadors after last year's crisis caused by
a PKK attack on the Turkish Embassy. The Swiss
government asked Turkey to lift the diplomatic
Immunity of its embassy staff so they could be
questioned on who shot a PKK demonstrator.
Turkey's refusal ta do so caused both countries to
withdraw their ambassadors. "Switzerland is also
ready to selld' its ambassador to Ankara," Dreifus
told Anatolia.' , ' , "
Dreifus' remarks followed President Süleyman
, Dèmirel's comments earlier this week when he
called for Swit~erland änd bis own country to
show the goodwIll necessary to resolve the bItter
140
diplomatic row which broke out between them
last summer. Demirel, who was in Switzerland to
attend the World Economic Forum in Davos said,
"I very much regret the deterioration in our relations.'
' ,
Demirel told a Swiss newspaper that the shooting
incident, was an unfortunate mishap which
should not result in animosity. "Both countries
must demonstrate goodwill," Demirel said. "Both
Swiss public opimon and the Swiss government
must examine the situation in a calmer way, and
in saying that I don't mean to accuse anyone," he
said, adding that the two countries' foreign mini~tel's
should hold talks on the matter. DIplomatIc
sources in Ankara echoed Demirel's views, saying
that at a time when the European states were "extending
cooperation with Turkey against PKK terrorism,"
Ankara did not want to continue strained
ties with a European ally. "We do not rule out the
possibility of appointing an ambassador with the
next decree," a TU,rkishdiplomat said. An ambassador
to Berne is not mentIOned in an ambassadorial
decree which appoints Kaya Toperi, the last
Iran Sées regional cQoperation as
antidote to Western influence
By Adnan Çaglayan
Turkish Daily News
TEHRAN- Iran,worried by the rapprochement
between Arab states and
Israel, which it sees as "the virus in the
region," regardsregiomi.l cooperation as
an antidote to Western infiltration into
the Middle East., ' ,
Foreign difl6inatic observers in the
Iranian capita note that Iran is particular-
!y worried by the"rapprochement between
Its closest ally Syria and Israel. _
, The same observers not'.:that Iran will
use the tripartite summit between Syria,
Turkey and Israel in Istanbul as "a platform
for ~qvocati.ngr~~;ionalcooperation"
!fistcad of allowlß~ \"~e~f.e;ttpo\\m to '
Infiltrate tile' region. " ,', ' ,; " '
Iran's fear is that it will he iS0bted fllr- '
ther if Syria also enters into a period of
rapprochement with Israel, and consequently
with the West. '
"In that case, Iran would either be iso~
!ate.daltogether ?r give th~ first signal of
ItS mtentlOn to mtegrate mto the global
scene," a foreign diplomat in Tehran
said.
Iran is also worried by the ties between
Turkey and Israel, the same source said.
Recently, Turkey host~d Isra~li President
Ezer Weizman and Egy~t's Hosni
Mubarak,. who took Turkey s pulse for
the establIshment of a "moderate front"
in the Middle East which would include
Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. These
\isit, Ilerl' repolkà in the Ir:lI1ian r.le~lia
w.ith.hea~lines such as "Turkey, Egypt trying to spread
ZIOnIstVIruSto the whole region."
Therefore, Iran's efforts to get the conference off the
~~ound should.be rega~ded withjn this framework, foreign
Qlplomats saId. IranIan ForeIgn Minister Ali Akbar
Velayati had applied "shuttle diplomacy" between
DaJ!lascus and Ankara last month to persuade reluctant
Syna to attend the Istanbul summit.
"W.e think re~ional cooperation can be used as an
effectlv~ mechanIsm forso.lving regional problems with-,
out the mterference of foreIgn powers," an Iranian diplomat
told the TDN. He added that Tehran also believed
that Syria and Turkey, "two of our Muslim neiohbors"
~ould solve their problems without the need for°outside
mterference.
This was clearly a reference to U.S. President Bill
Clinton me~tioning illegal Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK) terronsm during his talks with Syrian counterpart
H~f~z al.A~sad. The same ~ranian official said Foreign
!vf1~lsterAlI Ak~a~ yelayal1 would discuss the damaoe
mfllcted by Turkish Jets on an Iranian village durino t~e
Zaleh operation and ask the Turks to take "nece;sary
~easures in the future to prevent such an event reoccurnng."
ambassador to Switzerland, to Seoul. The decree
still awaits political approval.
We will not ban PKK
Dreifus reaffirmed his government's unwillingness
to ban the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),
saying such a move would make it more difficult
for Berne to control its activities. Around 120
Kurds shouted and waved banners in the Swiss
ski resort of Davos last week in protest at the
planned attendance of Turkish President Suleyman
Demirel at the conference there. Police
spokesman Alois Hafner said the protest had been
peaceful. "As long as it stays that way, they can
stay here," he added.
Switzerland said last month it would watch
militant Kurdish groups more closely, but would
not outlaw them as Germany and France have
done. Kurdish activists face tighter bans on entering
Switzerland and more police supervision. Regional
authorities are stepping up monitoring of
Kurdish groups disposed towards violence.
, (Reuters, Anatolia)