Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Jan 3 2005
Turkey: The Motto of the Political and Social Debate in France
France’s skeptical stance against Turkey’s membership to the European
Union (EU) has become a critical issue during these days. The
negative voices that are very loud in French public have affected the
political atmosphere not only in France but also in Turkey. Turks
have become very suspicious about French public during these days
while Turkey’s membership to the EU is the central concern. As the
survey of ISRO, EU Perception Survey, proved that 33.5 % of the
respondents say France is the most important obstacle for Turkey’s EU
entry, it is clear that the relations will become more strained. In
order to draw a full picture, it is significant to analyze the
reasons behind this opposition. After a short explanation of the
overall status in France about Turkey’s accession to the European
Union (EU), the unknown side of the coin will be mentioned in this
paper. As an introductory part, this work aims to question simply the
unapparent part of the scene in France. Who are the actors of this
`game’?
There is general truth the Turkish issue divided the French public.
The debate between those who see Turkey’s Islamic society as an
obstacle, and those who see the country as a valuable bridge between
Europe and the Middle East, is already heating up. Although many
French politicians and citizens are worried about admitting a large
Muslim nation into the Union, the proponents of Turkish membership
have the upper hand. The President Jacques Chirac favors Turkish
membership but he is in an isolated position. The leading state and
political elites, including the Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin,
are against Turkey’s membership. Especially, Raffarin’s declaration
with an unusual bluntness, “Do we want the river of Islam to enter to
the riverbed of secularism?” explains the situation.
The first reason behind this aggression is the Muslim minority in the
country. More than nine million Muslims live in Western Europe, which
makes them the largest religious minority in the region. While the
majority of Muslim population in Europe lives in France with a high
percentage, 10%, French public are skeptic against them. Muslims have
an isolated life in France. They are not `with’ their French
neighbors. This feeling of `otherness’ makes the Muslim, generally
Turks, segregated from daily life. This feeling has leaded them to
the uprising and the frequency of crime has increased. It can be said
that the repressed feelings occurred under the conditions of being
isolated. Therefore, when the crime rates have increased in France,
especially, in Muslim neighborhood, the image of Turks has been
shaped: the criminal. After 11 September attacks the image of Muslim
have become more significant and contentious. The extent of popular
opposition to the Muslims has increased. Status distinctions based on
religion have become the basis for the political divisions in France
and this became more apparent during the debatable period of Turkey’s
accession to the EU.
Another reason that lies behind against Turkey stance of France is
Armenian population who live in France. As political elites do not
want to lose their votes, they carried out a deliberate policy. It
should be mentioned that only 400.000 Armenians live in France but
they are French citizen. Although nearly six million Muslim are in
the country, they are not French citizen, especially the first
generation rejected to be a French citizen. On the other hand,
younger generations are much more willing to be a French citizen.
At this point, it is valuable to mention that for French public,
national identity is equal to the national security. Therefore, the
Muslim problem for them is both a threat to the French identity and
France’s security. France experienced this kind of `problem’ during
the history, and their solution is nearly same; to make the Muslims
French. As Napoleon’s assimilation policy to the Protestant and
Jewish people, today politicians aim to do the same. Their aim is to
form a homogeneous French identity by erasing the identity of
`other’.
Turks are the scapegoat at this perspective. The suppressed
aggression against Turks has become visible during these days while
Turkey’s accession to the EU is debatable. French do not want to lose
their powerful position in the EU. The majority of French see Turkey
as irreconcilably foreign thanks to geography, religion, culture —
and the fact that, with a population of nearly 70 million, more than
France’s, Turkey would simply be too big to assimilate, and a country
too big is, simply, a threat to their big France dream.
France’s superiority complex has always shaped the domestic and
foreign policy of the country. Some political elites have been the
main actors of this dream. The former President Valerie Giscard
D’Estaing declared that Turkish membership would be “the end of the
EU.” Giscard has also warned Europeans that Turkey’s supporters are
“the adversaries of the European Union.”. D’Estaing mentioned that
Turkey was not a part of the European tradition, culture or history.
`The European convention sought to define the foundations of what
brings us together: the cultural legacy of ancient Greece and Rome,
the religious heritage which infused European life, the creative
enthusiasm of the Renaissance, the philosophy of the Enlightenment,
the contribution of rational and scientific thought,’ (Le Figaro
25/11) he wrote and added that `None of these elements was shared by
Turkey.’ According to him, EU should propose to Turkey `a privileged
membership’.
Sarkozy as the chairman of France’s ruling People Movement Union
Party, Sarkozy will also be candidate for the country’s presidency in
the 2007 elections against Chirac. According to Sarkozy, Turkey
should be a `special partner’ rather than a full member of this
integration. He declared that he was not against `co-operation’ with
Turkey and added that `I want Turkey to be associated with Europe but
not integrated into the European Union’.
The declarations of the actors make the picture clear in France.
Turkey has become a political means in the country, especially before
the presidential elections in 2007. French leaders seem to feel that
refusing to admit a large Islamic country into the Union would be
seen as a disastrous confirmation of the “clash of civilizations”.
Furthermore, French people and diplomats, for their part, hope that
admitting Turkey to the EU will bring confirmation that Islam is not
incompatible with western values. Therefore, it can be said that
Turkey has become the motto of the political and social debate in
Turkey. A big country, or a threat to their `superiority’, has also
become the motto of their future.
Selin Akyüz,ISRO