EU, Turkey reach landmark deal to start entry talks
By Shadaba Islam

DAWN
18 December 2004 Saturday 05 Ziqa’ad 1425

BRUSSELS, Dec 17: The European Union and Turkey reached a historic agreement
on Friday on starting talks on admitting the large Muslim nation to the bloc
after overcoming last minute haggling over Ankara’s relationship with EU member
Cyprus.

The entry talks, expected to be long and difficult, will begin on October 3,
2005. The decision is a victory for Ankara’s long battle to confirm its
European credentials by joining the EU. But Europe’ embrace of the Muslim nation —
albeit a secular one — remains a grudging, reluctant affair.

The EU is imposing a range of new conditions that Ankara must meet over the
next 10 to 15 years before it is deemed ready to join the Union. And in what
many view as an inauspicious start, celebrations at the end of two-day summit
were marred by a difficult, eleventh-hour battle over last-minute EU demands
that Turkey give fast-track recognition to Cyprus via the signing of a customs’
union deal.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected this and instead forced
a compromise under which he made a public verbal declaration announcing his
readiness to recognize (Greek) Cyprus through the custums union before October 3
next year. EU leaders, in exchange, welcomed this.

The squabbles at the Brussels summit once again reflected many European
states’ continuing ambivalence about opening the doors of their current exclusive
Christian club to a large Muslim nation. But the fact that EU leaders overcame
such misgivings is a sign of a new maturity in a Union which wants to become a
global power and build bridges with its Islamic neighbours.

The start of negotiations is also a boost to the 15 million Muslims who live
in Europe and have felt increasingly marginalized since the rise of
anti-Islamic sentiments after the Sept 11 attacks on the US landmarks.

However, the summit squabbles also reflect the EU’s complex decision-making
machinery where one member state — in this case tiny Cyprus – can make
nationally driven demands.

Although it had never previously been a condition for starting talks with
Turkey, Cyprus, which only joined the EU last May, swiftly objected to the fact
that Turkey refuses to grant it diplomatic recognition.

Turkey, until now, has only recognized the self-styled state of Turkish
northern Cyprus. This led to hours of shuttle diplomacy at the summit with Turkey
supporters Germany and Britain being called in to mediate.

Mr Erdogan dug in his heels due to fears that voters at home and the
ever-sensitive Turkish parliament would rebel if he was seen to be caving in on the
spot to last-minute EU demands.

Turkey has been knocking at Europe’s door since 1963 and sees moves to EU
membership as a confirmation of its European identity. The goal has spurred
unprecedented reforms under Erdogan which have won wide admiration in the EU.

For Europe, taking in Turkey makes sense for a host of economic and
geo-political reasons. Chancellor Schroeder has pointed often to the huge market
provided by Turkey’s booming economy and population of 70 million as well as the
security advantage of making Turkey a democratic, secular beacon for the Islamic
world.
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende – who holds the rotating EU
presidency – said the goal of negotiations beginning next year was full accession of
Turkey but cautioned: “We’re going to negotiate to see if membership is
possible. There’s no guarantee it is possible.”

Should negotiations fail, he said, Turkey must remain firmly anchored in EU
structures. This, however, is not the same thing as the offer second class
membership – dubbed a “privileged partnership” – which was rejected by EU leaders.

Turkey’s trials with the EU are not over, however. Ankara faces a huge task
in meeting the bloc’s standards and while sweeping reforms by Erdogan may have
started getting Turkey into shape for EU membership, Brussels is asking for
much more.

The lengthy EU agenda for Turkey includes major improvements in political and
economic structures. EU leaders say Turkey must make additional effort to
upgrade standards for human rights, minority protection and rule of law.

More challenging for Erodgan are Europe’s calls for what many in Turkey will
see as a social revolution. Women’s rights, religious freedom and difficult
historic questions from Turkey’s past, including the fate of Armenians during
the World War I, still need to be addressed.