THE REPUBLICAN PEOPLE’S PARTY (CHP) AND TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY 2003-2005 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY SEÇK İN BARI Ş GÜLMEZ IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SEPTEMBER 2006 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences. ______________________ Prof. Dr. Sencer AYATA Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ________________________ Prof. Dr. Meliha ALTUNI ŞIK Head of Department This is to certify that we read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. _______________________ Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necati Polat Thesis Advisor Examining Committee Members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necati POLAT (METU, IR) _________________________ Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çağrı ERHAN (Ankara U., IR) _________________________ Assist. Prof. Dr. Oktay TANRISEVER (METU, IR) _________________________ I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Seçkin Barı ş Gülmez Signature: iii ABSTRACT THE REPUBLICAN PEOPLE’S PARTY (CHP) AND TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY 2003-2005 Gülmez, Seçkin Barı ş M.Sc., Department of International Relations Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necati Polat September 2006, 173 pages This study aims to examine the foreign policy orientation of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) during 2003 and 2005. Thus, four major foreign policy issues during this period will be scrutinized. These issues are namely, Turkey’s EU membership process, the Cyprus problem, the US-Turkey relations and the Armenian question. Taking into consideration the current development concerning these issues, this study will focus on the views and reactions of the CHP. In this respect, the main determinant factors behind the foreign policy stance of the party will be discussed. Finally, comparing the foreign policy understanding of the CHP in the past, the study will focus on the question whether the CHP of today constitutes continuation or a shift from the past CHP administrations. At the end of the study, the results of a research issued at the current CHP deputies so as to evaluate their foreign policy orientations will be revealed. Keywords: CHP, Republican People’s Party, Turkish Foreign Policy, Deniz Baykal, Onur Öymen. iv ÖZ CUMHUR İYET HALK PART İSİ (CHP) VE TÜRK DI Ş POL İTİKASI 2003-2005 Gülmez, Seçkin Barı ş Yüksek Lisans, Uluslararası İli şkiler Bölümü Danı şman: Doç. Dr. Necati Polat Eylül 2006, 173 sayfa Bu çalı şma, Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi’nin (CHP) 2003 ve 2005 yılları arasındaki dı ş politika yönelimini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Dolayısıyla, bu süreç içerisindeki dört önemli dı ş politika konusu incelenecektir. Bu konular, Türkiye’nin AB üyelik süreci, Kıbrıs sorunu, ABD-Türkiye ili şkileri ve Ermeni meselesidir. Çalı şmada, bu konularla ilgili güncel geli şmeler göz önünde bulundurularak, CHP’nin görü ş ve tepkileri de ğerlendirilecektir. Bu bakımdan, partinin dı ş politikadaki duru şunun arkasındaki belirleyici nedenler tartı şılacaktır. Son olarak çalı şmada, CHP’nin bugünkü ve geçmi şteki dı ş politika anlayı şı kar şıla ştırılacak ve bu açıdan bugünkü CHP’nin geçmi ş CHP yönetimlerinin görü şlerini devam mı ettirdi ği ya da onlardan ayrıldı ğı mı sorusu üzerine yo ğunla şılacaktır. Çalı şmanın sonunda, dı ş politika yönelimlerini değerlendirmek amacıyla şuanki CHP milletvekillerine uygulanmı ş bir ara ştırmanın sonuçları yayınlanacaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: CHP, Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, Türk Dı ş Politikası, Deniz Baykal, Onur Öymen. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of the people for giving me the trust and help I needed. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necati Polat for coming up with the very idea of my thesis subject and assisting me anytime I needed. Secondly, I have my special thanks to my parents and my fiancée for giving me unconditional support during the preparation phase of the thesis. Finally, I would like to thank METU for being a home to me and enabling me to live the best years of my life as a member of this great institution. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM……………………………………………………………………….iii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………........iv ÖZ…………………………………………………………………………….………v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………...........vi TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………...……………vii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………1 2. THE EUROPEAN UNION……………………………………………..........8 2.1. The EU and Turkey on Turkish Membership…………………………..10 2.2. The EU Copenhagen Summit of 2002 and Reactions of the CHP……...11 2.3. Harmonization Process and Reactions of the CHP……………………..13 2.4. The Progress Report of the EU Commission…………………………...19 2.5. The CHP’s Concerns with the Progress Report………………………...21 2.6. The EU Presidency Conclusions and Reactions of the CHP…………...24 2.7. Additional Protocol and the Declaration Issue…………………………26 2.8. Negotiating Framework Document to Open the Negotiations and the Reactions of the CHP………………………………………......28 2.9. Conclusion……………………………………………………………...32 3. THE CYPRUS PROBLEM………………………………………………....36 3.1. Europeanization of the Problem………………………………………..40 3.2. The EU-Cyprus Link…………………………………………………...41 3.3. The Annan Plan………………………………………………………...43 vii 3.4. The CHP and the Annan Plan…………………………………………46 3.5. Failure of the Annan Plan and the Accession of the “Republic of Cyprus” to the EU…………………………………..47 3.6. Revival of the Plan and the Road to Referenda………………………49 3.7. Cyprus Policy of the AKP…………………………………………….52 3.8. Referenda and Aftermath……………………………………………..54 3.9. Accession of the “Republic of Cyprus” and the Struggles to Reverse the Process…………………………………56 3.10. The CHP on Cyprus: Continuity with the Past……………………....59 3.11. Conclusion…………………………………………………………...61 4. THE US – TURKEY RELATIONS………………………………………..63 4.1. Changing Policies…………………………………………………….65 4.2. The 1 March Motion………………………………………………….67 4.3. The Hooding……………………………………………….…………71 4.4. The Turkish Concerns over Iraq……………………….....…………..73 4.5. Increasing Tensions: the AKP’s Critical Moves………….....……….74 4.6. Strategic Partnership………………………………….....……………76 4.7. Greater/Broader Middle East Initiative………………………………79 4.8. Moderate Islam……………………………………………………….82 4.9. The CHP and the US………………………………………………....85 4.10. Conclusion…………………………………………………………..87 5. THE ARMENIAN QUESTION…………………………………….……..89 5.1. The Armenian Question and the Conflicting Views………………....90 5.2. The Armenian Issue as a Means of Propaganda, Terror and Political Struggle...........................................................................94 5.3. Current Developments Concerning the Existing Taboos viii on the Armenian Question…………………………………………...96 5.4. The CHP’s Stance on the Armenian Issue………………………….100 5.5. The AKP – CHP Alliance Concerning the Armenian Question……102 5.6. Conclusion………………………………………………………….105 6. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………..107 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………..111 8. APPENDICES A: Survey on Foreign Policy Orientations of the CHP Deputies...............122 A1: Introduction.......................................................................................122 A2: Questionnaire Sheet..........................................................................123 A3: Survey Results..................................................................................131 ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Republican People’s Party (CHP) is the oldest political party in the history of modern Turkey. Established right after the independence war, the CHP could be deemed as a political formation in whose hands the republic of Turkey was born. Founded by Atatürk, the founder of Turkish Republic, and later led by prominent persons such as Ismet Inönü, the party became the main political mechanism of the newly emerging republic. It was also the sole political mechanism, since there was no other party until 1947. Enjoying this advantage, the CHP was the government itself up until 1950. Concerning its foreign policy, Turkey has long set forth the dictum by Atatürk; “Peace at home peace in the world” as its main mentality. Correspondingly, as a nation having lived through an independence war and the construction of a new state, Turkey remained cautious during the interwar years. Avoiding the subsequent war, Turkey pursued policies in accordance with her national interests. Signing the Montreux treaty which once again enabled Turkey to have full jurisdiction over the straits, and joining of Hatay to Turkey could be counted as events illustrating the success in Turkish foreign policy in this era. Moreover, hatchets were buried with Greece, a war-time enemy.1 The neutrality of Turkey during the Second World War could be understood as a culmination of this cautious approach to policy making. Consequently, a successful diplomacy was pursued during interwar years and the Second World War, though it had been expected to end up 2 with failure. 1 See, William Hale, Turkish Foreign Policy 1774-2000, (London: Frank Cass Publishers, 2000), p.72. 2 Ibid., 73. 1 The emergence of the Democratic Party (DP) as the governing body in Turkey from 1950 made a change in both the position of the CHP and Turkish foreign