Turkey lifts Ocalan death sentence

The state security court in Turkey has commuted the death sentence of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan to life imprisonment.

The semi-official Anatolia news agency said Ocalan - the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - would serve out his life in prison with no chance of parole or amnesty.

The decision is a formality in line with Turkey's abolition of the death penalty in August to meet criteria for European Union entry.

The abolition - except in times of conflict - was part of a comprehensive package of human rights laws rushed through parliament.

Ocalan was arrested in Kenya and convicted of treason in 1999 for his role in the PKK's 16-year guerrilla war against the Turkish authorities.

More than 30,000 people were killed in the war, in the mainly Kurdish south-east of the country.

The BBC's Tabitha Morgan says Ocalan's fate still arouses strong feelings, with many Turks still believing he should hang.

But the decision is a clear signal, our correspondent says, that Turkey is serious about implementing EU reforms and the government will be hoping that the international community will take note of its efforts.

I am of two minds about the accession of Turkey to the EU. On the one hand it helps to marry Turkey to the west, which should be a good thing. It extends Europe well into the middle east, which may also be a good thing.

But it is the admission of a really large non-european population into the heart of europe, with non-european traditions. The key to uniting unlike ethnicities is to have an ideology that inspires unity among the people. A tolerant multicultural ethos is a good start, but it does not provide for unity; for that you need some defining ideology; a sort of civil religion. For us it is "democracy", and "liberty for all" and "one nation under God".

I think Europeans make fun of our flagwaving, but I suspect they don't understand what it takes to unite people who are of completely different ethnicities. You have to establish a common civic culture, which will motivate people to recognize one another as fellow citizens.

The EU experiment is exciting, to me, in its effort to unite so many different countries into a single citizenship, but still, so far only countries whose roots are in Western civilization have been included. To include the Balkans is a bit of a stretch, but including Turkey is bold.

It may work, as the country self-consciously pursues Western culture, everyone is required to study Ataturk's philosophy, so it may work.

But Europe may have to define its philosophy a bit more explicitly in order to motivate a sincere unity, and it seems to be avoiding that task.

Comments? Any Europeans out there?

Yes, here.

Many Europeans see the flag waving as nationalism. And in Europe nationalism has got a bad taste (thanks to Germany or Italy back in the 1930's and later).

The EU is divided. The UK doesn't trust the others, the Dutch think they are paying too much and don't get to share power. The Germans want to get rid of the Teuro, like the Greeks and Dutch too. No one really likes the French, and they French are set out to get as many French people in the EU top positions as they can. That leads back to the UK not trusting the French. And so on.

But look at the state France is in, and how they get the EU to bend over for them. Belgium protests it, but to no avail. The smaller members have got nothing to say.

Recently there was an article posted from a German paper, about that Turkey should never become a EU member. A lot of people (the Germans mostly) fear that when Poland or Turkey join, they will all come over to live and work in Germany. They got 4 million unemployed, and they fear it will be worse.

The EU will work on economic issues, or other things, but not on culture or unification. The people are too different and don't want to sacrifice their own way of life.

And most people fear that by adding Turkey there will be sacrifices, as you pointed out already.

Europe made a promise, that when countries like Poland or Turkey could meet the criteria, they could join. That was made in a time when the economy was doing well.

Now even France can't meet those criteria.

A promise is a promise, but not in the EU.

Joining the EU also means sacrifice for the Turks. Pan-Turkism, for example.. There are those millions who dream of unity among all Turks who live in a swath extending from Turkey to western China.. Sovereignty is another sacrifice unpalatable to many. I as a EU citizen (which I am..) don't see happiness for Turkey in the EU. I see that the 2500 year old Turkish Armed Forces are a cherry which excites the EU. As an American permanent resident I have come to see that Turkish membership in the EU would gain the US more influence there. But what of Turkey and the Turks? Once per capita income reaches the levels expected of an EU member, why will as many folks want to travel there? Why would foreign investment want to go there and pay what they would in other EU countries for labor?

I wear three hats and see only silly reasons for Turkish membership in the EU.

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