Erdogan demands Merkel apology
TURKISH Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to apologise for blaming the Turkish side for an impasse in the Cyprus talks
Merkel’s Tuesday visit to Cyprus raised eyebrows in Ankara and in the north after she praised President Demetris Christofias’ efforts for a solution, and criticised Turkey for not doing enough.
Speaking at the presidential palace in Nicosia, Merkel said Turkey needed to show more willingness to resolve the dispute, while noting that Christofias’ readiness to compromise had not been reciprocated by the other side.
Turkey’s response was immediate. Leaving diplomatic niceties by the wayside, the Turkish leadership accused Merkel of bias and lack of historical knowledge on Cyprus.
Ankara took it one step further yesterday during an address Erdogan gave to regional leaders of his ruling AK Party.
“These comments and attitudes do not give the impression of a leader who is far-sighted and visionary,” Reuters quoted him saying. “We expect Merkel to apologise to the Turkish side, which has shown all kinds of sacrifice for agreement on the island,” he added.
According to Hurriyet Daily News, the Turkish PM accused the Chancellor of taking her populist politics to Cyprus.
“Merkel’s statements not only hurt but they also reflect a lack of historical knowledge and contradict statements she has made in the past. Merkel showed how unfamiliar she is with the Cyprus dispute,” he said.
Erdogan recommended Merkel read a book by her predecessor, former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder covering Cyprus’ EU accession which “demonstrates how immoral the behaviours of the time were”.
He also suggested the EU and UN were preventing former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s report on the 2004 referenda from being made public to protect the Greek Cypriots. Turkey would not give away a single inch of northern Cyprus, he said.
“If they seek things from us that are not included in the agreements, they won’t get it. You cannot get from us even an inch of northern Cyprus. If you say, accept Turkey as a [EU] member in exchange for getting something from Cyprus, you will not be able to. Because we always say we will not allow the case of Cyprus to be subject to political exploitation.
“But unfortunately, the EU with its attitude on the opening and closing of negotiation chapters has not kept its word. It’s trying to test us with things that are not included in the acquis communautaire and is trying to squeeze us in a corner. You are making a mistake,” said Erdogan.
There was no official response to Erdogan from Germany by late yesterday but a press release issued by Merkel’s office concerning her visit to Cyprus confirmed her earlier comments.
According to the press release, the German Chancellor assured Christofias of Germany’s support to efforts for a Cyprus settlement and commended his efforts to create momentum in the ongoing UN-led direct negotiations.
“We particularly appreciate your courage, the creativity which you show,” Merkel said in the announcement, adding that unfortunately so far there has been no response to this readiness for compromise.
Merkel underlined that Germany supports UN efforts, adding the country will make it known to Turkey during talks with officials in the future that there needs to be progress in the process.
The statement also notes that Germany, other EU member states and NATO are all interested in a Cyprus settlement.
Germany supports reconciliation not only due to its own experience of division but also due to its interest in cooperation between NATO and the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is very limited, said the Chancellor, adding that irrelevant of the result, negotiations between the EU and Turkey must move on.
While she could understand emotionally what division means, the reunification of Germany cannot become a model for Cyprus as the historic background is different, said Merkel, noting however that Germany is willing to contribute with its own experiences on the property issue.
The conflict complicates the cooperation between the EU and NATO”, the press release concluded.
Erdogan’s unreserved criticism of Merkel was not the only straight talk he gave yesterday, as he also had blunt words for Israel too.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Erdogan was quoted by the Turkish press saying that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman needed to be removed from office for the good of the country.
“The Israeli foreign minister is a big problem for Israel and the Israelis should get rid of him. If Israel doesn’t’t, their problems will get worse.” He reportedly went as far as to say that the current Israeli government “is the worst government in the history of Israel”.
Back on the island, Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes, reportedly the mouthpiece of Eroglu’s National Unity Party (UBP), yesterday published a picture of Merkel sporting a moustache strikingly similar to that of Adolf Hitler while the flag of the Third Reich was also placed in the picture. The headline to the article was: “Code of Adolf Merkel.”
Wait for complete package on debt crisis: Merkel
Germany faces mounting pressure from the European Commission and its euro zone partners to strengthen a rescue fund for troubled member states, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).
"If the discussion is about a further package of measures, it is above all important that we develop a complete strategy that must absolutely include closer economic coordination," Merkel told a news conference in Mainz after a meeting with other senior members of her ruling Christian Democrats.
"You cannot simply raise another particular aspect each day," she added.
Berlin insists it sees no need to commit more funds to the 440 billion euro ($591.7 billion) EFSF, which has so far been tapped only by Ireland. Instead, the German government is open to a discussion about way to enable the existing fund to be used in full.
Senior European sources told Reuters, however, that the sense of urgency in Berlin for boosting the fund had diminished after successful bond auctions this week in Spain and Portugal, the two countries seen most at risk of a bailout following rescues of Greece and Ireland last year.
Instead Germany is pushing for broader anti-crisis measures to be agreed at a summit of European Union leaders in March.
EFSF AND SCHAEUBLE
Only around 250 billion euros of the 440 billion euro fund are effectively available to euro zone countries because of a complex loan guarantee system. That would probably not be enough in the event bailouts are needed of both Portugal and Spain.
"Given the mechanics of the rescue fund, this sum cannot be fully utilized in the form of credit, because a certain amount of capital reserves need to be built up to maintain the AAA rating that is necessary for favorable financing," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was cited as saying in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
"We have to and will solve this problem," he said.
This sentiment was echoed in an international European Commission paper, according to another media report on Saturday.
"The finances available within the EFSF must be raised to at least 440 billion euros," the paper read, as cited by Der Spiegel. "Member states are ready to reconsider the size of the EFSF, whenever this is necessary."
Schaeuble said he did not expect Portugal, Spain, Italy and Belgium to need to draw upon the rescue fund.
"No one is rushing to ask for aid from the fund, because this also means strict conditions for national budgetary and financial policy," he said.
Merkel Starts Campaign for Weber to Succeed Trichet, Bild Says
Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel will begin efforts to persuade European Union leaders to install Deutsche Bundesbank President Axel Weber as President of the European Central Bank when Jean-Claude Trichet retires this year, Bild Zeitung reported, citing unidentified government officials.
Merkel will try to convince French President Nicolas Sarkozy to support Weber, the newspaper said.
EU leaders may take a preliminary decision on Trichet’s successor as early as March, according to the newspaper.
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