AKP AVOIDS EU FOR FEAR OF LOSING 3.5 PCT OF THE VOTES
by Mehmet Ali Birand
Hurriyet, Turkey
Feb 27 2007
The accession project to get into the European Union was the primary
factor setting the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government
apart from all others. It started demolishing taboos soon after it
took office. It took steps that no government has dared until now.
I am sure you remember those days.
We were not convinced in the beginning.
We thought all of this was just showing off. We thought it would be
forgotten shortly after and expected that it would fall prey to the
status quo.
It turned out to be the opposite.
It created a revolution on the Cyprus issue. It dispensed with the
official ideology. It brought forward the Copenhagen criterions and
it continued on its way. It became a hero in the eyes of people like
us, who got sick and tired of being enclosed with invisible strings
for years.
Erdo?an surprised us all.
Gul made us all happy.
It was as if we were in a dream.
The AKP showed it was different with the EU project.
It demonstrated that it does not have the intention to turn secular
Turkey into a country ruled by religion with a secret agenda.
Then what?
Then, the climate started changing.
The current started changed course especially as the elections
drew closer.
The AKP came to a point of deceiving its own child. Right now, no
one is even mentioning the EU. The attitude is as if they are ashamed
of it.
Firstly, as the result of a costly mistake by the Foreign Ministry,
it trapped itself regarding the opening of our ports to Greek Cypriot
ships. Then it put everything on hold because of the elections. Here
are the bottlenecks where Turkey’s EU project got stuck: 1) The
list is led by the failure of Article 301. The government could
not make the necessary amendments even though Erdo?an’s thoughts
are different. It is clear that the nationalists in the party have
convinced the prime minister.
(Let’s hope that they will not touch it until after the elections
because if they try to handle the issue beforehand, the result will
be an amendment that is nonfunctional. It would be better if the
issue is left until after the elections so that a proper amendment
can be made.) 2) They have not taken steps concerning the issue of
opening ports to Greek Cypriots.
(Turkey knows it cannot advance in accession talks without first
resolving the ports problem. However, no one dares.) 3) Minority
Trust Funds – Heybeliada seminary.
(The AKP thinks differently than all the other parties. Especially
the Erdo?an and Gul duo do not accept the official policy regarding
issues such as property held by trust funds and the Patriarchate.
They clearly state their thoughts. Just the same, they could not do
anything during the passing of the Foundation law or regarding other
issues. The Foundation law came out to be insufficient due to pressure
from nationalists within the AKP. It is waiting for its turn as it got
vetoed by the president. Let’s hope the results of the elections are
waited for to make the changes.) 4) They failed to assume a policy
regarding Armenia.
(Even though the Erdo?an-Gul duo had a different attitude on this
matter they again could not take any steps due to the elections.) 5)
Communication (The weakest point of the AKP has been communicating
with the EU. It has been unable to shape a communication policy
toward Europe within the party and in the country. It could not
show any leadership characteristics either.) Why did it assume such
an attitude?
I wonder, just like you.
Why did the AKP distance itself from this project that distinguished
it?
Can it be afraid of losing the elections?
No.
The AKP is sure that it will win the elections. Their skepticism
is not about losing the elections. What really bothers the party is
the possibility of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) passing the
10 percent threshold and entering Parliament. A government official
told me: "There may be a possibility of a coalition if the MHP enters
Parliament. This is why saying that we cannot address the EU issue"
was actually stating the truth.
So, what will change after the elections?