Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Italy's Bonino Hails Pope's Visit, Says EU "Prevaricating" Over Turk

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Italy's Bonino Hails Pope's Visit, Says EU "Prevaricating" Over Turk

    ITALY'S BONINO HAILS POPE'S VISIT, SAYS EU "PREVARICATING" OVER TURKEY

    Corriere della Sera website, Milan, Italy
    Nov 30 2006

    Interview with Italian European Affairs Minister Emma Bonino in Rome;

    "'Pope? He is Farther-Sighted than Many European Politicians'",
    from Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera website on 30 November:

    Rome - "Benedict XVI's visit to Turkey will be historic." Minister
    Emma Bonino is convinced of it. The Radical leader, like her party,
    has not indulged the pope, but now acknowledges that Ratzinger "is
    better able to interpret the world than many European politicians".

    [Corriere della Sera] Are you surprised by the pope's new line?

    [Bonino] I am not surprised that Pope Benedict XVI expresses himself
    differently from Cardinal Ratzinger: having the responsibilities
    of a head of state is different from being a very authoritative
    theologian. I welcome the change on his part and think it should
    prompt a more visionary outlook on the part of all Europe's capitals.

    [Corriere della Sera] Do you mean that?

    [Bonino] Of course, I regret the fact that this message of dialogue is
    being imparted by religious authorities and not politicians. I consider
    it significant that it is the Vatican itself that realizes that Europe
    cannot remain a Catholic fortress, that it is counterproductive to
    erect another iron curtain against an entire world, the Muslim world,
    because it would ultimately create a non-inclusive and intolerant
    society, restricting the scope of democracy, the rule of law, and
    human rights observance.

    [Corriere della Sera] So is the pope behaving like a politician?

    [Bonino] The Vatican has understood the need to clarify the "Regensburg
    misunderstanding," partly by means of a clear message to Europe's
    governments: there is no Catholic pretext for what are entirely
    political decisions. In this respect it seems to me that the message
    conveyed to [Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan was addressed chiefly to
    certain European governments. This, because I see in this detachment
    a great deal of cynicism, many electoral calculations, a great deal
    of political short-sightedness... The very same that I see when,
    out of pure national selfishness, a country blocks a directive on
    the certification of Parmesan cheese or fishing quotas, but applied
    here to an epoch-making decision, perhaps the most important decision
    that Europe has ever made and will ever make. I am astonished by the
    pettiness of the arguments and pretexts used, the fears cynically
    brought into the debate...

    [Corriere della Sera] Indeed the Vatican's change of course occurs just
    as mutual incomprehension is occurring between Europe and Turkey. The
    Commission's decision on the negotiations is no surprise.

    [Bonino] Recent history shows a unilateral rapprochement on Turkey's
    part - NATO, the customs union, the launch of EU membership
    negotiations. Unfortunately this approach has always been too
    problematical. The Commission is proposing a suspension of membership
    negotiations on some of the economic chapters. Of course this would
    constitute a lull on the political plane. But not a break in the
    process. Having said that, I am disappointed and frustrated. It is
    47 years since Turkey's first request to join, and we are still here
    prevaricating, after setting criteria, the so-called Copenhagen
    criteria, interpreted by Turkey alone, successively introducing
    further obstacles such as "absorption capacity" or recognition of
    the Armenian massacre...

    [Corriere della Sera] So much for Europe's mistakes. What about Turkey?

    [Bonino] Turkey is unfortunately often the worst enemy of its own
    national cause, with a tradition of diplomatic inflexibility verging on
    the paradoxical. If there are three possible solutions, they generally
    choose the one most problematical for the other side. I must say that
    things are no better with regard to Cyprus, on the Greek-Cypriot side.

    [Corriere della Sera] What role could the Italian Government perform?

    [Bonino] That which befalls a major EU government, a friend of
    Turkey's. But we do not make these decisions on our own.
Working...
X