Erdogan ISCAN: “Yanukovych’s visit has given a new impetus to Turkish-Ukrainian relations”
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych recently visited Turkey. Have Turkey’s hopes, pinned on this visit, been fulfilled? Do any obstacles still hinder bilateral trade between our two countries? These and other questions are answered in the following interview with Erdogan Serif ISCAN, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey to Ukraine.
“I think the very fact that Turkey was high on the list of the countries that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych visited shortly after coming to power last August clearly shows a great potential for the further development of relations between Ukraine and Turkey. We continue to maintain top-level contacts. Relations have been improving in all fields lately. Efforts aimed at overcoming existing obstacles have already begun to produce positive results. From this angle, it is quite obvious that Prime Minister Yanukovych’s visit has given a new impetus to relations between our two countries. Our prime ministers have vowed to make a joint effort to raise Ukrainian-Turkish relations to a higher level.
“To a great extent the Turkish side’s hopes for this visit have been fulfilled. The two parties signed an agreement on defense cooperation and a protocol on Ukraine’s participation in Operation Black Sea Harmony. We informed the Ukrainian side about some difficulties that Turkish businessmen are encountering. The prime ministers agreed that the intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific, and technological cooperation and the tourism commission would hold sessions in the first six months of this year. This visit also saw a meeting of the energy working group, during which the two prime ministers decided that the energy ministers of Ukraine and Turkey will meet shortly to discuss matters of mutual interest.
“As for the conditions of operating businesses in Ukraine, all foreign investors continue to run into difficulties, Turkish companies being no exception. All we need is for Ukraine to create a more favorable business climate. Ongoing reforms are already helping to resolve various difficulties. I am firmly convinced that WTO membership will bring Ukraine closer to world standards. We expect that all problems connected to Turkish and Ukrainian investments will be tackled at the next session of the intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific and technological cooperation.”
“In what way can Ukraine take part in the Nabucco project? What other joint projects can our countries carry out in the nearest future?”
“Nabucco, a proposed natural gas pipeline, runs from Turkey to Austria through Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. This multinational project is aimed at supplying Caspian gas to Europe. It is important that the European Commission’s latest document, ‘An Energy Policy for Europe,’ lists Nabucco as one of four top-priority projects.
“Prime Minister Recep Erdogan noted at the joint press conference in Ankara on Jan. 17 that the Nabucco project is open to all interested regional countries, including Ukraine. Our countries’ top energy executives are going to discuss the modality of this participation. We hope that our two energy ministers will meet very soon and address all the problems of mutual interest, including those in the field of energy.”
“Given the latest EU events, in particular the partial freezing of Turkey’s membership talks and the unwillingness of some veteran members to admit your country, is Turkey going to change its EU integration tactics?”
“There have always been ups and downs in the longtime relationship between Turkey and the EU, depending on developments in Turkey and within the European community. Turkey has never spared any efforts to meet European political and economic criteria and eventually join the EU. This goal has become a way of life in Turkey, which is continuing to improve its people’s standards vis-a-vis political and economic criteria.
“In response to the latest EU decision to slow down the negotiations on Turkey’s membership, Prime Minister Erdogan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Gul took a firm stand that will ensure uninterrupted reform. The majority of our population supports this stand. So the prospects are quite promising. Recently, at the start of Germany’s EU presidency, the EU decided to begin talks on a new chapter and invited Turkey to submit proposals.
“We must remember that Article 49 of the Treaty on the European Union sets out that any European country that respects and upholds European values, such as democracy, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, may apply to become a member of the EU. Already in 2005 the European Commission reached the conclusion that Turkey had reached the level of meeting EU criteria. Accordingly, the EU Council decided to begin membership negotiations with Turkey.
“Turkey is determined to redouble its efforts to achieve full compliance with European standards. Many people in Europe understand that Turkey’s entry into the EU is a great opportunity for both Europe and Turkey. I am sure that Turkey’s membership serves the EU’s strategic interests, especially in the face of ever-increasing global and regional challenges. At the same time, we also know that there are different approaches to this in Europe. That is why Europe itself must resolve these contradictions.”
“Your country has been in NATO for quite a long time. Do you think Russia today has grounds to fear NATO enlargement and particularly Ukraine’s membership in this organization?”
“NATO has never pursued any goals that could arouse Russia’s fear. NATO has been striving for peace, security, and stability, and its policy of enlargement will continue to be based on these principles.”
“Given the current situation in the world and new challenges and dangers, what do you think would be better for Ukraine: to continue its vague policy toward NATO, obtain neutral status, or join the alliance as soon possible? Incidentally, did the Ukrainian prime minister explain his vision of Ukraine’s NATO membership when he visited Ankara?”
“Only the democratically elected representatives of Ukraine should decide what is better for the country. As for your prime minister, he has often explained his government’s attitude to relations with NATO. On its part, the alliance welcomes the government’s determination to continue reforms.”
