TURKEY’S INTEGRATION INTO EU IS SUSPENDED AT LEAST FOR 20 YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.12.2006 GMT+04:00

According to the Hudson University expert Zeyno Baran the probability
of military upheaval in Turkey in 2007 is estimated 50/50.

European Politicians have started to speak of Turkey as of a
country having small possibilities for integrating into EU more
frequently. Nicola Sarkozy, a possible candidate for the French
presidency, announced that "Turkey has no place in EU"; these words
caused recurrent indignations in the country.

"The latest events caused troubles in Turkey’s relationship with the
European Union.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Pope’s visit together with the European
Commission’s decision on suspending the negotiations about
the country’s integration into EU, in fact, breaks off Turkey’s
relationship with the West. The Pope’s visit emphasized the great gap
between the Islamic religion and culture and the Christian Europe,"
writes John Hopkins University professor Steven Sabo.

Leaders of a number of European Countries, including Germany, France,
and Greece consider it a paradox that Turkey, which is ambitious
to become fully integrated into Europe, denies recognition of the
EU Member Cyprus, and applies economic sanctions against it. EU
Council’s session on foreign affairs and common issues is going to
be held on December 11. The President of the European Commission Jose
Manuel Barroso hopes that the European countries will have developed
a common view point by that time and says that Turkey’s integration
into EU is suspended at least for 20 years.

Turkey’s integration into EU has become the number one question on
the agenda of the US Foreign Policy. Will US, regardless everything,
impose its will on EU regarding Turkey’s Euro integration, or will
EU fight the pressure and make it on its own way, which in fact, was
obvious already last year, when the negotiations on full membership of
Turkey in European Union had only started. Such turnings in the doings
gave birth to some problems; after the defeat of the Republicans,
it is senseless to speak about the US policy in Europe. America has
already got stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan. But there is also the
problem with North Kurdistan, which, mildly speaking causes troubles
in the Turkish-Iraqi relationships. Besides, it should be remembered
that Turkey, finding itself on the roadside to Europe, may suddenly
recall its belonging to Islam, and then the world will have a rather
powerful country ruling over the army headquarters, and which can very
soon become uncontrollable and even unpredictable. Both Brussels and
Washington is well aware of this fact, that’s why they are trying
to avoid such a scenario. Moreover, according to Hudson University
expert Zeyno Baran, the probability of military upheaval in Turkey
in 2007 is estimated 50/50. That is why, she advises to recognize
Turkey’s integration into EU, to avoid "unpleasant" outcomes.

George Bush’s true ally Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair
called Turkey and EU "to compromise over the issue of Turkey’s
integration into Europe".

According to Turkish mass media the British Prime Minister fears
Turkey’s close relations with Islamic radical countries (because of
Ankara’s confrontation with EU), which will have its negative impact
on the Caspian power stuff supply. "We must take measures to help to
carry on the process of Turkey’s integration into EU. It will demand
compromises from all the sides involved in it. To deny Turkey, I
believe, would be a serious mistake for Europe in respect to long-term
prospective", quotes British Mass Media. EU demands from Turkey to
satisfy the requirements of the additional protocol of Customs Union
and open its sea and airport to Cyprus. The Turkish authorities in
their turn demand to remove the trade and economic embargo from the
northern part of the island, where the self- declared "Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus" is formed, which is recognized in the whole world
community by Ankara only. Other requirements are the negotiations with
Armenia over the matter of the Armenian Genocide, reestablishment of
the railway communication with Armenia and negotiations with Greek
refugees from the Northern Cyprus (occupied by Turkey in 1974),
and provision of equal rights of Kurds.

As for the words of the Pope Benedict XVI, according to which he
"supports the country’s urge towards integration into European Union",
then it must be mentioned that this statement doesn’t adjust with
his previous statements, when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
of Germany. At the time he announced, "The fact that Turkey is an
Islamic country means that this country can never belong to the
European Union".

"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department