EU’s yes to Turkey draws mixed response

Irish Times
Oct 08, 2004

Derek Scally

EU: There were mixed reactions yesterday among commentators in Turkey
and Germany, home to some two million Turks, to the European
Commission recommendation to open EU entry negotiations with Turkey.

The front page headline of H’rriyet, Turkey’s best-selling newspaper
was clear: “Dankeschön Verheugen” it said in gratitude to the EU
enlargement commissioner, Mr G’nter Verheugen.

The page was all-blue, surrounded by EU and Turkish flags.

Summoning the founder of modern secular Turkey, a front page editorial
said “Ataturk should have seen this day”.

But inside, columnist Emin Colasin had mixed feelings.

“We shouldn’t try to please the EU too much. There is no country that
has done this until now,” he said, choosing to focus on the
Commission’s “but”.

“The outcome of the discussions is not clear and there are no
guarantees. There are lots of places with shadows.

“Some politicians in Brussels were still talking about Cyprus and the
Armenian genocide. Such things were never said to any country on this
path.This is only the beginning.

“They are caressing our cheeks and giving us a finger of honey so we
don’t run away and cause a scandal.”

Germany’s conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine, called it a “fateful
day” for the EU, adding that Turkey’s accession could “destroy the
European house aswe know it”.

“One should say honestly to the European people: this is not about an
‘enlargement’ of the EU but a ‘transformation’.”

Austria’s Die Presse agreed, calling the Turkey debate “absurd”.

Germany’s Die Tageszeitung praised the Commission’s “good and right”
recommendation, adding it would have preferred a “slightly smaller
‘but’.”