OPINION : TURKEY’S EU SKEPTICS ON THE OPENING DAY OF THE NEGOTIATION TALKS
Burcu Sahiner , JTW UK Correspondent burcu@turkishweekly.net

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 5 2005

After a long run of the disputes during the EU summit, finally an
agreement was launched on the framework for the membership talks only
after the last minute turn over by the European foreign ministers.

The historic step was taken when Austria withdrew of its demands
which were suggesting another option for Turkey rather than a full
membership statute.

It was stated that the Turkish government was strongly disagree with
the Austrian proposals and the Prime minister has declared at several
times, in his speeches, that if anything different has been made on
the draft document Turkey will reject it immediately. It appears
that Austria’s last minute concession on Turkey was linked to the
EU’s decision of opening the negotiation talks with Croatia at the
same time. However, the Croatian demands of Austria were accepted,
it was elaborating for Turkey that her restrictions almost respected
on the final framework. The talks opened when the compromise has
been launched in the late afternoon both European and Turkish leaders
welcomed the official start of European Union membership talks with
Turkey on the 3 October midnight.

After that particular historical event, it was inevitable not to fall
in disagreement with in the Turkey. The oppositions are coming from
various perspectives, such as, without any surprise the Islamic press,
particularly Vakit, Milligazete and Yenicað. Other basic indignations
about the opening of the talks are basically coming from essential
anti-government presses like Cumhuriyet and conservative Tercuman.

When the parties are concerned the Right- wing party supporters take
the lead in contradictions, especially of those who are the Nationalist
Action Party that was held a meeting yesterday protesting the European
Union membership and the government’s policies against the Union. The
oppositions of the Nationalists are being supported by an essential
anti-European party which is to be known as Labor Party.

What is interesting here is that the Main Opposition Party of the
republic also appears to be one of the main actors who strongly
criticize government policies and the Union attitudes towards Turkey.

The point that has to be taken attention on is that these different
groups are all representing their own perspectives which rarely come
together especially on the live or death matters, however this time
they are standing together. The closer the period gets, the stronger
the critiques of these groups rise.

To illustrate why these different groups are standing against the
recent government attitudes in the EU summits, let’s figure that out
by considering their suggestions instead of a path to Europe.

The Islamic Press, faraway, is considering the Austrian resistance from
the historical perspective. Milligazete, for instance, describes the
Autrian position referring that Austria is playing the same role till
the Europe has given to her during the Crusade wars. They suggest that
there is no significant difference between the role played by Austria
now and the Crusade wars. They believe that the European Union is
rather a Christian Club and this is why it is an indefinite process
for Turkey even the negotiation talks have been opened. There will be
no difference unless the Europeans have changed their discriminated
perceptions.

Milligazete, rather requires another path for Turkey which is
completely towards a different direction. They insist that Turkey
must have returned to the forgotten place where its’ real origin has
been lying. In this respect, Turkey must develop stronger relations
with the Islamic countries immediately or rather she will resume the
unequalized relations with a Club where the membership possibility
is still very low.

Ali Karahasanoðlu who is a writer in the Vakit newspaper, depends his
arguments on the very idea of discrimination, just as the Milligazete
claims but rather he does not offer another path for Turkey to turn
over. Karahasanoðlu suggests that EU’s attitude towards Turkey was
affirmative, as always and it will remain so, in the future. He says,
“in a club such as EU involving 24 member states, it is unbelievable
that persuading such a small member state like Austria is becoming
so impossible, this is exactly what the EU is expected to be in the
session to make pressure over Turkey.”

An even greater indignation is expressed in the conservative
Tercuman. Their main critique is against the governments Cyprus policy
and their weak policies including the case. “If some countries insist
on turning Cyprus into an EU issue, Turkey will get to the point of
telling its public ‘We have had it up to here’,” it says. It goes on
to say that the reason for this will not even be “sensitivity about
Cyprus”, but reaction against “Europe’s unreliability”.

An editorial in Cumhuriyet agrees that the latest statements by Prime
Minister Erdoðan and Foreign Minister Gul are “entirely proper”.

“Turkey can neither consent to a ‘privileged partnership’ nor recognise
the Greek administration on Cyprus as a legitimate state,” it insists.

Cumhuriyet newspaper said the EU was still offering Turkey something
short of full membership, despite rejecting an Austrian bid to say
so openly. They suggest that the real reason of what they fear has,
at heart, little to do with agricultural costs, Turkey’s human rights
record or the tortuous Cyprus negotiations. It is, more crudely,
the atavistic clash of civilizations – the contention that a Europe
based on Christian values and culture has no place in its midst for
a Muslim nation.” And when the time comes Europe will create new
reasons to say no for Turkey’s membership.

The most traumatic opposition has come especially from the Nationalist
Action Party. Yesterday, they have organized a general meeting to
protest the government policies about the EU process. The NAP leader
Devlet Bahceli, in his speech during the meeting, set the reasons
in order why the NAP is so strongly criticizing both the EU and the
Erdoðan government. Here are some of the spectacular points underlined
by Bahceli:

_ The Cyprus issue has been left to its own destiny by the government
which is certainly about to be solved in favor of the Greek Cyprus.

_ The Armenian issue will be set on Turkey during the negotiations.

However, it is a fact that the government couldn’t show its resistance
both inside and outside Turkey. For example, they have given permission
to the intellectuals to discuss the Armenian issue in the Bosphorus
University, recently.

– The government has already given the promise of reopening the
Theological School in Heybeliada in Ýstanbul.

– “The brotherhood of the religions” is something that was unnecessary
in the mean time because there is no hostility between the different
religion members in Turkey

_ The Justice and Development Party government, in order to be a
member state is about to do everything and not only about the issues
related with the European matters but also the ones which are threatens
Turkey’s national interests.

Another indignation about the opening of the negotiation talks came
from the Main Opposition Party, Republican Public Party, especially
regarding the government’s attitudes during the last EU summit. They
suggest that the negotiation framework for Turkey is rather worse than
the 17 December Summit decisions. Conditions for membership have been
made heavier despite the EU leaders’ promises and the government has
accepted whole restrictions which were put forward Turkey without any
delay. The leader of the party Deniz Baykal indicates that the EU is
offering a position for Turkey to resume her candidature eternal and
it is just not possible to accept the framework with the existing
conditions.

These are the reasons on which the separated groups are depending their
claims. Because the process is just started, we do not know what the
future expectations will become or whether these oppositions will
be insisted on. Fortunately, we all know that the process will be
a long and an unpredictable one, not so frustrating as the opposite
wings have supported or either so satisfactory as the supporters have
been defending.

–Boundary_(ID_WMTZGKHXUMYZ9sQqh5/cqw)–