TURKISH AND FRENCH INTELLECTUALS AGREE ON TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP

Zaman, Turkey
April 2 2006

Turkish and French intellectuals, who gathered for the 10th Abant
Platform in Paris, discussed Europe’s future.

Issues such as, “Globalization and Liberalism” and “What kind of
a Europe?,” were discussed in the last part of the meeting. The
intellectuals questioning the future of Europe agreed on the idea
that Turkey’s European Union (EU) membership would make a significant
contribution to Europe. Professor Nilufer Gole told that intellectuals
from both countries came together for the first time in this frame
explaining that, “The intellectuals laid their hearts beyond the
discussions. This is crucial for the bilateral relations.”

French philosopher Olivier Abel told Europe needs Turkey for its own
future. “Europe should accept Turkey as a member in order to complete
its democratization,” he noted.

Galatasaray University faculty member Professor Kenan Gursoy, who
made the closing speech together with Abel, received a loud applause
when he explained the legendary Turks’ march from Ergenekon to Europe.

Speaking in the morning session of the meeting, French philosopher
Professor Monique Canto Sperber, a lecturer in one of the prestigious
French schools, Ecole Normale Superieure , told EU was undergoing
a transformation and Turkey would play a bridge role for the EU. He
defended that the liberal economy changed the borders of Europe adding,
“We see that Europe’s geo-strategic understanding has started to
change.” The French thinker told Turkey encountered many problems
during its globalization process, “It is natural for Turkey, which was
established on the basis of the nation-state model, to be influenced
from Europe,” he said. Sperber claimed that it was very important
how Turkey would take steps before issues such as the Kurdish issue,
rising nationalism and the Armenian genocide allegations.

Indicating globalization turned the entire world into a single type,
Sperber told this yielded a different outcome and strengthened
the local identities in all the societies. “Globalization does
not guarantee a world of peace where all the nation states are
eliminated. On the contrary, it causes communities to highlight their
cultural identities with the instinct of defense, “he expressed.