EU President van Rompoy's d. Spokesman to EuroFora: Mid-Term Election won't affect USA-EU Summit

(Updated) * EU President Herman van Rompoy's deputy Spokesman, Jesus Carmona, replying to "EuroFora"'s Questions on the forthcoming EU - USA Summit in Lisbon (Nov. 20), said that, in principle, it wasn't expected to be influenced by this week's Mid-Term Elections' results in the USA, but didn't exclude a special "mood" concerning US President Barak Obama, (as the American Press had already noted).

    However, since the recent Brussels' Summit, (October 28-29), concrete details for EU's position appeared still unclear (See infra), while Turkey was reportedly attempting to use an adjacent NATO Summit in order to provoke some pressure on EU Countries mainly to push aside Ankara's obligations on Cyprus' issue, which was due to be examined, meanwhile, by UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon at another meeting organized at New York on the eve of NATO and EU-USA Summits (Nov. 18).
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    -  "Do you think that the recent Elections in the USA might have any impact on the (forthcoming) EU - USA Summit, or it doesn't have absolutely anything to do" with that ?", "EuroFora" asked van Rompoy's d. Spokesman.

     - "I don't think that the current (U.S.) Elections will have an influence on the Trans-Atlantic Agenda", we are talking about "differend" things, stressed EU President's d. Spokesman, Carmona, in reply.

    - This being said, however, "obviously, I also don't know the Mood of (U.S. President) Obama", but "that's something differend", he added, in what might be a reference to Obama's recent notorious statements about his reaction to the results of the US Congress' Elections, largely won by the Republican Party, but also of his call and promise to try to work for "Bi-Partisan" cooperation, as well as to make some "Midcourse Corrections" on certain Policies.

    - Usually, "when we are dealing with TransAtlantic relations, (National) Elections have nothing to do with that", Carmona added in conclusion. - "We are not dealing (in Lisbon) with TransAtlantic Elections  : Nothing to do with that", he estimated.

    This seems close to U.S. State Secretary, former 1st Lady, Hillary Clinton's reported reaction that National "Politics stop at the Borders"....

    But U.S. President Obama himself has acknowledged that 2010 Mid-term Elections necessitated certain "corrections" and "adjustments" of US Policy, on which he intends to discuss with the elected Republican leadership. This might iclude, among others, also efforts to make visible "progress" trying to follow  the example of Rev. Martin Luther King  on upholding Human Dignity and Rights "everywhere", as he added shortly afterwards, i.e. Foreign Policy-related issues.

    At any case, inside EU Parliament, whose forthcoming mini-plenary sesssion is due to discuss Next Week the up-coming EU-US Summit's main "Priorities for Cooperation" between the two partners, many MEPs clearly felt that it's important to note that this debate "takes place at an ac­tual political moment after candidates for the US Congress and Senate stood for Mid-Term Elections", as, f.ex., the largest Group, that of the European People's Party, observed.
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    But if Obama really wants to start "cooperating" with the 2010 winner GOP, it seems difficult, this time, to satisfy all Turkey's desiderata, after a systematic, virulent slandering attacked personaly Republican candidates with an unprecedented blatant Interference by a Turkish Media called "The young Turks" inside USA's National politics, which constantly tried to ridiculize the American "Republican Party", the "so-called Christians", (as they named American People's values movement), even "the Bible",  harassing them with Personal Attacks, gross insults, etc.... There is no other Foreign Country or Ethnic Group, not even the biggest ; f.ex. Russia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Canada, etc, or the E.U. , which ever dared interfere so shamefully and systematically in the internal affairs of the U.S., spending money in R-TV studios, staff, etc,  to launch attacks against American Politicians under a Foreign Ethnic Banner.     

    Turkish Media's personal attacks against USA politicians, particularly Republicans, and mainly against  American values' popular movements, extended even to the detriment of the topical issue of "BiPartisan Cooperation" between GOP and Obama after the 2010 Mid-Term Election, (which inevitably touches also upon Foreign Policy, including EU - USA relations), by slandering a leader of GOP's new Majority in the House of Representatives, John Boehner, taxing him as an "Hypocrit" (sic !). This came in addition to Moral Values, Cultural Identity, immigrants' Integration, a.o. issues that the Turkish lobby also ferociously attacked during the latest Elections, (apparently not only failing to convince, but also ...stimulating People to vote against its gross propaganda, as results showed)...
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    Despite Republicans' win of a Majority in the US House of Representatives and at least 6 Senators more, as well as most States' Governors, etc.  in the 2010 Mid-Term Elections, however, Polls reportedly showed that Obama remains largely popular inside his Democratic Party followers, and could even be re-elected on 2012 if he faced McCain-chosen former GOP vice-Presidential candidate Shara Palin, with 52% against 44%.

    But if the Republicans' 2012 Presidential nominate was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the 2007-2008 revelation of GOP's Primaries who ended 2nd after succeeding to lead a hard race at the 1st place even without any Money to spend, then, he would clearly win with the same large margin of 52% against only 44% for Obama, the same CNN Poll revealed. No 3 of the 2008 race, Millionaire Mite Romney might also win v. Obama, but with - 3% less (only 50 to 45 %), the poll found. Another possible 2012 contenter is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

    Huckabee, (who cultivates a "Charismatic" personality, as Obama did, and is also a former Priest), has insisted much more on "Soft Power" than on Military alone, and on "how to win Hearts and Minds" of the People, both inside America and Worldwide. In his biggest text on Foreign Policy, he had focused also on the need to fight against threats to expand violent Islamist extremism.  Most important : He has notoriously close links with the 2010 Mid-Term Elections' winner popular movement composed of "Tea party", "Citizens United", "Families for Values," a.o. grassroots Citizens' groups, which mushroomed and developped further mainly after 2008, and he is also traditionally open for National and General Interest compromises and selective cooperation with current U.S. President Obama, as he has already declared.           

                        
    Sometimes, concrete "details" might be important : - "A Pew Research Center/National Journal poll released Oct. 25 found majority approval of .... GOP agenda item.. (on) allowing more Oil and Gas Drilling off US Shores", CSM reported. This obviously could mean a lesser U.S. need to insist on far away Oil/Gas issues, located f.ex. in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, etc, and related Foreign Policy matters, (including, f.ex. a controversial, too costly, too dangerous, and rather ...empty gas pipeline zig-zaguing through Turkey), diminishing, in Future, Washington D.C.'s Past pressure on European and other allies to swallow, at any price (be it Financial, Political and/or Moral : i.e. on Human Rights, etc) the desiderata f.ex. of an eventually transit State as Turkey, etc...         

         
    Meanwhile, according to the Turkish Press, "Secret" bargaining was allegedly pushed via EU Commissioner on Enlargment Fule, in order to press for more Chapters to be opened in EU - Turkey negotiations, despite Ankara's persisting refusal to comply with its obligation to stop discriminating EU Member Cyprus' related Ships and Airplanes, contrary to EU Summits' repeated, crystal-clear calls all these years (2005 - 2010), as well as to prevent pre-existing and/or new EU Countries' Governments from raising any problematic issue which might affect EU - Turkey negotiations' already slowed pace, (or the huge sum approaching 1 Billion € that EU Taxpayers, including Poor People via VAT, are paying to Turkey each year, instead of investing in EU High-Tech RST and other EU Productivity enhancing assets, even during the present times of hard Financial "Cuts" in all EU Countries).

    The reported Turkish lobby's concern might go, in particular, not only for France, Germany, Cyprus, maybe Greece and/or Austria, etc., particularly after the June 2009 EU Parliament Elections' issues, but also for New, center-right Majority Governments which have recently won National Elections in several EU Countries during 2009-2010 with a more Critical Agenda, apparently more conscious of the Economic, Education, Cultural/Historic Identity, Human Rights, GeoPolitical, a.o.  issues notoriously raised by Turkey's controversial and impopular EU bid, (f.ex. Hungary : 1/2011 EU Chair, Belgium : current EU chair, Holland, Slovakia, Latvia, Bulgaria, etc., while also critical political oppositions were growing even in the UK, Greece, Austria, Sweden, etc).

    - According to Brittish "Socialist" Newspaper "The Guardian", Turkish "Deep State"'s usual mouthpiece, Hurriyet, reportedly revealed that Ankara would attempt to exploit the Missile Defense plans "to its advantage" by opposing them unless USA "increased American pressure on France and Germany to unfreeze Turkey's E.U. membership bid". "Washington thought about that too, and that's why one of the Top Agenda items in the U.S.-E.U. summit, ...right after the NATO summit, is going to be Turkey's E.U. Membership" impopular demand, it warned.

    Turkey had notoriously blocked for more than a day NATO's 60th Anniversary Summit, on April 2009 in Strasbourg (See "EuroFora"'s Newsreports from the event), refusing the election of its new Secretary General, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, by demands against the Press Freedom of a Kurdish R-TV accused by Ankara to support Violent Separatism, asking a job for a Turkish Official, and other NATO concessions...
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    A usually interlinked issue notoriously is Turkey's Veto against almost any kind of EU - NATO cooperation involving all EU Member Countries, including Cyprus, that Ankara still refuses to recognize, despite a long-standing and crystal-clear, official call by EU Heads of State and Government to normalize its relations with the Cypriot Government, officially launched as early as since September 2005 already, confirmed and reiterated several times by EU Summits since then, and expected (according to reported leakages the Turkish Press itself) to be anew stressed in the forthcoming EU Commission's 2010 Annual Report on Turkey's efforts to meet the European Standards, due to be published next week on Tuesday, November 9.

     - "Cyprus' issue is one of the most important priorities because it has a wide impact also on EU - NATO relations, from Kosovo up to Afghanistan", characteristically claimed the experienced Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, in reply to an "EuroFora" co-founder's question when he had the responsibility to chair CoE and EU successively during the same year (2008), speaking at a CoE Committee of Ministers' Press Conference in Strasbourg.

    German Chancellor Angie Merkel has also pointed out that a solution needs to be found in this issue, long before she anounced, recently, (after UNO's vote, on October, for Germany to become a Security Council's new Member for 2011 and 2012), her intention to "visit Cyprus from January 2011".

    Merkel's 2011 official visit to Cyprus is naturally important, because of Germany's obvious influence on EU issues, particularly augmented thanks to the recently confirmed close personal and political links with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the famous Franco-German EU "motor", (France being already present at UNO's SC as one of the 5 permanent members, so that during 2011 - 2012 Paris and Berlin will be able to work together also inside the New York - based International

Organization), and considering UNO's recent vote for Germany's entry inside the S.C.
     The last Merkel's visit in Cyprus was focused only on another, differend aspect of the Strategic EU Member island : that of Germany's leading role on the EU's Maritime force destinated to Monitor Libanon's SeaCoasts vis a vis Israel, (which was hosted in Cyprus' Pafos Seaport, etc), after a UNO's 2006 Decision, taken in order to avoid any more Libano - Israeli border conflicts, gave a Monitoring mandate including to an International Terrestrial Peace-keeping mission initially headed by France.

    But, even before Merkel's forthcoming 2011 visit to Cyprus, UNO's Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, reportedly invited both Cyprus' President Demetres Christofias, and the Leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community (living in the Northern Territories of Cyprus' Occupied by Ankara's Military), Dervis Eroglu, currently engaged in on-going inter-communal talks) to come and meet him at New York on the 18th of November 2010, shortly after UN Chief's relevant statements made in reply to "EuroFora"s questions at his October Press Conference in EU Parliament in Strasbourg (See : .... ).

    Turkey, in a Contradictory move, reportedly claimed to be anxious for a kind of settlement, after notoriously draging its feet for Decades on Cyprus' Political and/or Human Rights' issues since the 1974 invasion/occupation of the island's Northern part, to the point that Ankara had even backed a Turkish Cypriot leader's blunt  ...refusal to participate in a High Level New York meeting, droping  invitations by  f. UNO's Secretary General Koffi Annan to start Talks for Cyprus' ReUnification on the basis of UNO Security Council Resolutions, on September 12, 2001 : It's only by exploiting the coincidence of the blockade of Airplane flights, provoked by the 9/11 Barbaric Terrorist Attacks' mass killings, that Turkey avoided EU reactions then... During more than 35 Years since the 1974 Turkish Military Invasion and Occupation of Cyprus' northern part, Ankara didn't ever accept any UN proposal, with the only exception of a Controversial 5th version of a Draft Plan for a Cyprus' Deal which had been prepared (without EU presence, except briefly at the end) mainly by a "Socialist" Brittish UN Official, speaking Turkish but not Greek, with some strange personal links on GeoPolitics and Economy, who was dismissed by Annan after this Draft's failure, on 2005, (and replaced by a UN Official which had monitored Appartheid's End in South Africa :  Ismail Gabari, that he appointed UN undersecretary general for Political affairs : See his statements to "EuroFora"'s co-founder, September 2005 at New York). But, on mid-2010, the Turkish side reportedly provoked  a "Deadlock", by asking Excessive Derogations against< Greek Cypriot Refugees' Human Right to return to their Family Homes and Ancestral Land, and to restore or compensate their Private Properties, as well as for a long foreign Military presence, a Separation of the Country's Natural Resources, etc., stressing a "2 States" Agenda instead of the Official UNO' aim to focus on Cyprus' ReUnification.

    Thus, Ankara's alleged sudden hurry, might just be a reaction probably made under EU indirect pressure and repeated calls for Ankara to fullfil, at last, the Commitments it has undertaken to stop Discrimination against Cyprus since 2005, (when it started Negotiations with the EU), but notoriously failed to meet until the December 2009 initial Deadline, and still refuses to honor even towards 2010's end, while in 2012 Cyprus is due to take over EU's rotating Chairmanship...
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    - Questioned by "EuroFora" about details on "EU's position in the forthcoming Summit with the USA", van Rompoy's d. Spokesman Jesus Carmona acknowledged that it had not been made "known" in public "exactly", and offered to "call back" later on, after checking carefully, so that he "might be able to help" with some concrete info.                               

                                                                               
    According to the tight-lipped official "Conclusions" of the October 28 - 29 Brussels' European Council,  the 27 Heads of State/Government simply "exchanged views" and "discussed" the "key political messages" that Van Rompoy, together with Barroso, "will promote" in the EU - USA Summit, as the text says.

    But it wasn't clear after Brussels' Summit what "exactly" would do the Heads of State/Government of the biggest EU Countries, considering also that the forthcoming NATO and EU - USA Summits, following eachother in just a few Hours' short distance on November 19 and 20 in Lisbon, (Portugal), are notoriously due to focus largely also on Security - Defense and Politically related issues, which are mainly at the hands of sovereign States, (as f.ex. U.K. - France Summit between Brittish Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy highlighted, particularly on Defense Industry and High-Tech matters, in their joint Press Conference in London).
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    + Another issue which might, eventually, be evoked at the EU - USA Summit could be the EU - US Data Protection Agreement, that EU Parliament will discuss next week, while EU is reportedly prearing negotiations on airplanes' Passenger Name Reports with the US, Canada and Australia, where MEPs, starting to use new powers given by Lisbon Treaty, reportedly want to "remind .. the Principles ..to keep in mind during the Talks" and to "be fully informed on ..developments".