SABANCI: EUROPE NEEDS TURKEY MORE THAN TURKEY NEEDS EUROPE

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Nov 8 2006

ANKARA – "In the long run and in economic terms Europe needs Turkey
more than Turkey needs Europe," Sabanci Holding Chairman Guler Sabanci
has indicated.

In her article published in Financial Times, Sabanci stated, "Turkey
has been an integral part the twists and turns of European history
for 700 years. We should remember this long history of engagement
when discussing Turkey’s European Union membership and negotiations,
which formally began just last year. An EU report on the progress of
the talks, due to be released tomorrow, is being seen by some as a
‘breaking point’."

She underlined, "the progress report is an interim document that
underlines what still remains to be done, as opposed to celebrating
what has been achieved. By its very nature it cannot do justice to
the profound importance of these talks when it comes to facing the
global issues of tomorrow."

"The main challenges facing humanity over the coming century cannot
be tackled at the level of a single nation state. Climatic changes,
potential pandemics, the gap between rich and poor, security and
immigration all are problems that require a governance system that
covers significantly more than current sovereign areas. The EU is a
vaguely understood, but courageous, search for such a new governance
structure. My country has to be a part of this. Turning inward and
trying to close the world out is a backward step, both for the EU
and Turkey," Sabanci indicated.

She noted, "the strategic importance of Turkey within Europe is
undeniable. Its experience with multi-ethnic and multi-denominational
governance structures, geographic position, historical ties with
and knowledge of areas to its south and east, its young population,
access to energy and control of water resources make Turkey a critical
player in the emerging EU."

"The main problem is political. Economic fears are often cited but
those arguments are quite empty. For sure, the current rules of the
EU would require a transfer of resources to Turkey for about 10 to 15
years. However, in plain business terms the discounted present value
of Turkey’s contributions to an ageing Europe beyond that period is
greater than the outlay. In the long run, in economic terms Europe
needs Turkey more than Turkey needs Europe," Sabanci stated.

"We are moving towards a lofty goal but the road there is narrow and
leaves little room for manoeuvre. After 700 years of dealing with
each other, all parties can point to historical reasons for caution.

As the process is not really one of "negotiating" but checking to
see if Turkey fulfils certain conditions for entry, it is by its
very nature unilateral. Any unilateral process is open to all sorts
of misunderstandings that need a conscious effort to prevent or undo.

There are some principles to follow that will make this process
easier," she noted.

"First, unilateral does not – should not – mean ‘arbitrary’ or
‘variable’. If it is seen that way the ‘candidate’ may lose interest.

Something of this nature has been happening to Turkish public opinion,
in particular with respect to Cyprus. After the accession of a
divided Cyprus to the EU – in spite of the Greek Cypriot rejection of
the United Nations plan supported by the EU – the agreement whereby
sanctions on North Cyprus were to be lifted as a first step seems to
have been forgotten. Yet the demands on Turkey remain," Sabanci said.

"Second, there is a need to find a way of providing ‘wiggle room’ for
all parties to allow politicians to win the support of their public.

It is in no one’s interest to push any party into a corner from which
they cannot emerge," she noted.

Sabanci indicated, "third, the EU must avoid blatant asymmetry.

Turkey can not be chastised for parts of its penal code that may
inhibit freedom of expression while member states try to criminalise
historical debate about what happened to Armenian and Turkish
communities during the first world war in a manner that inhibits free
speech and research to expose the truth."

"Fourth, there is a need to keep ‘pressure’ in the system to ensure
that the requisite reforms are being implemented, in particular the
legal protection of the individual. This should not be hard as there
are many non-governmental organizations in Turkey pushing for such
reforms irrespective of the EU talks," she said.

Sabanci added, "most important there is a need for sincerity,
an honest effort on both sides to arrive at a successful result,
Turkey’s accession as a full member."