Salon | Newsreal: Turkish delight

T A B L E+T A L K
The stock market: What will it do next? Predict, discuss and analyze in the Money area of Table Talk

D A I L Y+Q U O T E
Emma Thompson on Clinton-Lewinsky: If she's not a nun, it ain't a scandal

R E C E N T L Y
Blumenthal blasts Starr as he exits grand jury room
By Jonathan Broder
"The entire Whitewater scandal comes down to a (Ken Starr) self-esteem problem," he tells Salon.
(02/27/98)
Toothless hounds
By Andrew Ross
Now that Kenneth Starr's crusade has turned upon the press itself, his loyalists at the New York Times and Washington Post have finally raised a meek and begrudging protest
(02/26/98)
It's time to investigate the investigator
By Bruce Shapiro
Although he may think differently, Kenneth Starr is not above the law
(02/25/98)
Starr chamber
By Mollie Dickenson
The deep and twisted roots of Kenneth Starr's Clinton inquisition stretch back to the dark corners of the 1992 presidential campaign
(02/24/98)
Prosecuting -- or persecuting -- the prosecutors?
By Jonathan Broder
Fierce opponents of Kenneth Starr are now taking the fight right into the independent counsel's own office
(02/24/98)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Browse the
Newsreal Archives
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

spacer

_______T u r k i s h__d e l i g h t
The Clinton administration says a huge arms-for-human-rights deal is important for Turkey's stability, but opponents say it's arming the torturers.
BY JONATHAN BRODER
WASHINGTON -- While Iraq has been receiving most of the Clinton administration's attention in the past several weeks, a much quieter U.S. initiative could have similarly profound consequences for the region.
In a highly risky move, Salon has learned, the administration is offering a major arms-for-human-rights deal to one of its most important allies, Turkey.
In exchange for improvements in its dismal human rights record, Turkey would get to buy $3.5 billion worth of American attack helicopters as a reward. Turkey has tentatively agreed to the quid-pro-quo -- which some human rights activists liken to rewarding a recovering drug addict with clean needles.
Apart from the domestic hurdles the proposed deal faces here, it could also be scuttled by America's closest ally of all -- Israel, which has formed a consortium with Russia to sell Turkey high-tech helicopters with no human rights strings attached.
The U.S. initiative reflects concern about the political and economic problems currently plaguing Turkey, which has served as a crucial Middle East staging post for the U.S. From Turkish bases, American warplanes patrol the skies over Iraq. Turkey is also the gateway to the oil-rich Caspian region of Central Asia, and is the geographical and cultural crossing point between the Islamic world and Europe.
While Turkey is one of the more democratic and economically powerful countries in the region, senior U.S. policy makers fear that the country's progress is being undermined by its violations of human rights, especially toward its minority Kurdish population. It was this issue that prompted the European Union recently to slam shut Turkey's entrance to the rich bloc of nations, prompting a sense of outrage and shame among Turks.
U.S. officials believe the attack helicopters may serve as a tempting carrot to induce Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz to implement long-promised human rights reforms, including a halt to torture, the release from prison of critical journalists and opposition parliamentarians and an end to the state of emergency in the southeastern corner of the country, where the Turkish army has been waging a fierce war against Kurdish rebels for the past 13 years.
Turkey, eager to buy the U.S. helicopters, has pledged to meet the administration's criteria for the sale. Two weeks ago, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights John Shattuck, one of the architects of the initiative, flew to Turkey for further discussions with political and military leaders on the reforms and how the United States will monitor their implementation.
"There is a recognition on the part of everybody involved that Turkey's human rights performance has got to be improved," a senior administration official said. "It can't be cosmetic."
But some lawmakers, human rights groups and arms control experts are skeptical. Turkey has made such promises before, they say, only to ignore their commitments once they received American weapons. These critics are anticipating a bitter battle on Capitol Hill if American companies win the contract and the administration tries to push through the sale without substantive proof of human rights improvements.
N E X T+P A G E+| Latest roundup of opponents

T A B L E+T A L K The stock market: What will it do next? Predict, discuss and analyze in the Money area of Table Talk D A I L Y+Q U O T E Emma Thompson on Clinton-Lewinsky: If she's not a nun, it ain't a scandal R E C E N T L Y Blumenthal blasts Starr as he exits grand jury room By Jonathan Broder "The entire Whitewater scandal comes down to a (Ken Starr) self-esteem problem," he tells Salon. (02/27/98) Toothless hounds By Andrew Ross Now that Kenneth Starr's crusade has turned upon the press itself, his loyalists at the New York Times and Washington Post have finally raised a meek and begrudging protest (02/26/98) It's time to investigate the investigator By Bruce Shapiro Although he may think differently, Kenneth Starr is not above the law (02/25/98) Starr chamber By Mollie Dickenson The deep and twisted roots of Kenneth Starr's Clinton inquisition stretch back to the dark corners of the 1992 presidential campaign (02/24/98) Prosecuting -- or persecuting -- the prosecutors? By Jonathan Broder Fierce opponents of Kenneth Starr are now taking the fight right into the independent counsel's own office (02/24/98) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Browse the Newsreal Archives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
		_______T u r k i s h__d e l i g h t The Clinton administration says a huge arms-for-human-rights deal is important for Turkey's stability, but opponents say it's arming the torturers. BY JONATHAN BRODER WASHINGTON -- While Iraq has been receiving most of the Clinton administration's attention in the past several weeks, a much quieter U.S. initiative could have similarly profound consequences for the region. In a highly risky move, Salon has learned, the administration is offering a major arms-for-human-rights deal to one of its most important allies, Turkey. In exchange for improvements in its dismal human rights record, Turkey would get to buy $3.5 billion worth of American attack helicopters as a reward. Turkey has tentatively agreed to the quid-pro-quo -- which some human rights activists liken to rewarding a recovering drug addict with clean needles. Apart from the domestic hurdles the proposed deal faces here, it could also be scuttled by America's closest ally of all -- Israel, which has formed a consortium with Russia to sell Turkey high-tech helicopters with no human rights strings attached. The U.S. initiative reflects concern about the political and economic problems currently plaguing Turkey, which has served as a crucial Middle East staging post for the U.S. From Turkish bases, American warplanes patrol the skies over Iraq. Turkey is also the gateway to the oil-rich Caspian region of Central Asia, and is the geographical and cultural crossing point between the Islamic world and Europe. While Turkey is one of the more democratic and economically powerful countries in the region, senior U.S. policy makers fear that the country's progress is being undermined by its violations of human rights, especially toward its minority Kurdish population. It was this issue that prompted the European Union recently to slam shut Turkey's entrance to the rich bloc of nations, prompting a sense of outrage and shame among Turks. U.S. officials believe the attack helicopters may serve as a tempting carrot to induce Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz to implement long-promised human rights reforms, including a halt to torture, the release from prison of critical journalists and opposition parliamentarians and an end to the state of emergency in the southeastern corner of the country, where the Turkish army has been waging a fierce war against Kurdish rebels for the past 13 years. Turkey, eager to buy the U.S. helicopters, has pledged to meet the administration's criteria for the sale. Two weeks ago, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights John Shattuck, one of the architects of the initiative, flew to Turkey for further discussions with political and military leaders on the reforms and how the United States will monitor their implementation. "There is a recognition on the part of everybody involved that Turkey's human rights performance has got to be improved," a senior administration official said. "It can't be cosmetic." But some lawmakers, human rights groups and arms control experts are skeptical. Turkey has made such promises before, they say, only to ignore their commitments once they received American weapons. These critics are anticipating a bitter battle on Capitol Hill if American companies win the contract and the administration tries to push through the sale without substantive proof of human rights improvements. N E X T+P A G E+\| Latest roundup of opponents