Zaman, Turkey
July 19 2005

Southeastern Citizens Ask about EU
By Erkan Acar, Yusuf Ipek
Published: Tuesday July 19, 2005
zaman.com

After a busy working term, Turkish MPs who traveled to their election
districts are being asked unexpected questions. Mehmet Fehmi Uyanik,
a Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP, responding to citizens’
questions in the villages of the Turkish Southeastern city of
Diyarbakir was told their demand, “Don’t let the government lose its
enthusiasm about the EU” instead of complaints about unemployment.

After Parliament adjourned for the summer, MPs have begun to return to
their election districts and to listen the problems of local citizens.

One such MP is Uyanik, and he is also a member of National Defense
Commission. Uyanik who visited some villages near the city, mingled
with the citizens and was asked questions about the European Union
instead of being told their complaints about agriculture. Villagers
asked him whether Turkey will be accepted for EU membership and
demanded that the government not to lose its enthusiasm regarding
the EU.

The AKP Diyarbakir MP paid his first visit to Sati village Sunday.
This village is where Armenians resided during the first years of
Turkish Republic and has been a place much frequented by European
delegations during recent years. Representatives coming from the EU
mostly want to see the village’s church, now used as a mosque. The
150-house village went through tough years at times of intensive
terrorism but today it is peace that prevails there. Citizens who
heard that an MP had come to their village gathered around Uyanik.
When villagers, who generally prefer to listen began ask the MP
questions about the EU, Uyanik was surprised. The village head Arap
Aslan asked questions such as, “Would they accept us into the EU?
What will be different in our lives if we enter the EU?” A city
dweller Abdullah Topuz asked, “There are a lot of differences between
European countries and us in terms of economics, how will this gap
be closed?” Uyanik was at first surprised however; he then commenced
answering their questions. He tells about the advantages that EU
membership will bring in terms of economics, law and freedoms and
shows Greece as an example to this. He reminds that Greece, where
the national income per capita was lower than in Turkey before its
membership has now left Turkey behind thanks to EU funding.