Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Sunday started a three-day visit to the EU institutions in Brussels, accompanied by the Foreign Minister and the Minister of State for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator. The Turkish delegation met European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the Enlargement Commissioner Rehn, the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, and the Conference of Presidents of political groups in the European Parliament.
Progress on accession negotiations was on the agenda, as well as regional issues. Erdogan’s trip, his first to Brussels in four years comes at a stage after a comparatively slow 2008 for both parties.
Since 2005 Turkey’s accession talks have been dogged by a number of domestic and external problems. Several European states such as Austria have shown their reluctance to allow Turkey into Europe. The issue of Cyprus continues to be a major impediment to negotiations. European officials have commented on the slowdown in Turkish reforms which, combined with the Cyprus problem, has led the EU’s enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn to warn of an hindering ‘train crash’ in negotiations with Turkey. Due to these setbacks, negotiations again came to a halt in December 2006, with the EU freezing talks in eight of the 35 key areas under negotiation as set in 2005.A number of stumbling blocks remain on the road to Turkey’s EU accession, in particular concerning trade links with Cyprus, freedom of expression and the rights of the Kurdish minority. European skepticism about Turkey’s EU accession is fuelling a popular backlash among many Turks who are growing increasingly distrustful of the EU.
There will be an increased pressure on Erdogan to show a willingness to speed up reforms in what many consider 2009 to be a decisive year on Turkey’s political commitment towards the European Union. However there are those who fault the European Union with procrastination quoting that the force of bureaucratic inertia prevails not only over the geopolitical vision but also over the basic democratic principles.
In reality the arguments in favour and against Turkey’s accession to the European Union are recognised and intellectually accepted by everyone. The proximity of Atartuk’s secular Turkey to the turbulent Arabian borders, the close relationship with Israel, the counterbalance against the Persian regional hedonism, an efficient and strong army, the potential capacity for a fast growth economy with huge reserves of low cost manual labour (The China of Europe), the embrace of democratic values by an Islamist country sandwiched between East and West, give considerable weight in Turkey’s favor.
On the other hand the effect such a big country could have on the institutional future and cohesion of Europe, the unknown influence of the adhesion of such a different people to the humanistic European body, a population that could soon elect to the European Parliament in Strasbourg more representatives than Germany, common frontiers with Syria, Iraq and Iran, the relations with the ex soviet republics of ethnic Turks in Central Asia, the fear of mass immigration this time not solely towards Germany, the low per capita income of the Turks and the huge social divide are also arguments that have to be taken into consideration.
Religion is not being left out as another argument. The diffidence in Islam is increasing and the debate on the integration of Islam in European society is becoming more dramatic by the opposing factions meanwhile secular Turkey has been tempered to the point of electing to govern a religious party who has adopted a moderate political stance against the fundamentalism that rages beyond its neighboring countries.
I was in the thick of the action when negotiating and promoting European Union Membership and I can therefore understand how difficult it may be for a country like Turkey to meet all the criteria, and persuade all other members. I form part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, within the European Union. I have been involved and have followed this issue with great interest.
The European Union is a community that is ready to listen to one and all. It is a community where dialogue between different countries is a key. However, every country must reach the criteria, many a time with efforts, as we did, to be part of this prosperous family.
David Casa is a Nationalist Member in the European Parliament. He also forms part of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee within the European Parliament.
www.davidcasa.eu
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