CONSIDERING GREECE AND ARMENIA’S SUPPORT OF TURKEY’S EU CANDIDACY

PoliGazette, Netherlands
Dec 16 2007

Filed under: Feature, Turkey – Benjamin on December 16, 2007 @ 10:58
pm CET

Aside from the ongoing drama between the PKK and the Turkish military,
a great deal of Turkey’s most recent foreign affairs activity has
been tied to its potential accession to the European Union (EU). Most
observers of Turkey derive the majority of their analysis of Turkey’s
potential EU membership from the stoic proclamations of President
Gul or the anti-Turkish rhetoric of President Sarkozy. However, an
additional angle from which one can develop further understanding of
the EU issue is by exploring the perspective of Turkey’s traditional
foes, Greece and Armenia.

This past week featured Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Greek
Foreign Minister Theodora Bakoyianni exchanging incredibly sugar-coated
words concerning Turkey’s EU candidacy and also on the general subject
of relations between their two countries. With Greece wholly behind
Turkey’s EU bid, Turkey has gained a very valuable source of support
given the fact that the relations between the two countries have been
historically sour at best.

Some observers consider Greece’s strong support for Turkey’s bid
as somewhat inevitable given the growing amount of humanitarian
cooperation between the two countries since they were struck by the
same earthquake several years ago. Cross-border investment is growing
in both directions and young Turks certainly do not harbor the same
acrimonious feelings about Greece that their grandparents possess.

The recent inauguration of a gas pipeline between Greece and Turkey
to serve European markets further highlights the growing strategic
connections.

There is no question that the positive momentum that increasingly
characterizes the relations of Turkey and Greece is real. While
Turkey’s motivations are clear, it is nevertheless important to take
a closer look at why Greece has chosen to extend its support. To
understand Greece’s motivations in greater depth (and beyond their
interest in seeing the Cyprus issue resolved at some point during this
century), it is helpful to jump to Armenia in order to consult that
nation’s conversation concerning Turkey and the EU. Whether due to
the historical issue of the Armenian Genocide or the ongoing Turkish
(and Azerbaijani) economic blockade, Armenia’s affairs and future
are very much tied to those of Turkey.

While largely unnoticed by the Turkish media, there is a heated debate
between Armenia’s long-time former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian,
and the current president, Robert Kocharian, concerning Turkey’s
future in Europe. While both are interested in greater normalization
of ties with Turkey, Ter-Petrossian is much more aggressive about
pursuing cooperation and dialog. Concerning Turkey’s candidacy for
the EU, Ter-Petrossian’s views are quite logical as exhibited in the
following article from armenialiberty.org.

"Isn’t it obvious that Turkey’s membership in the EU is beneficial
for Armenia in the economic, political and security terms? he added.

"What is more dangerous: an EU member Turkey or a Turkey rejected by
the West and oriented to the East?

"Or what is more preferable? An Armenia isolated from the West or an
Armenia bordering the EU? Our country’s foreign policy should have
clearly answered these questions a long time ago."

Ter-Petrossian’s comments are just as applicable to Armenia as they
are to understanding Greece’s interest in Turkey becoming a member
of the EU. In addition to the regional economic benefits of Turkey
joining the EU, both Armenia and Greece are very aware of the value of
the horse-and-carrot strategy that the EU has used to prompt Turkey
to pursue internal changes. This EU strategy has been implemented in
order to force stubborn Turkey to pursue a path that is complimentary
to the Western European system of political, economic and social
values. Most Turks, in turn, have become embittered by what they
see as a series of false promises, which have provoked a dizzying
contortion of Turkey’s identity. Both Greece and Armenia could not
be more pleased by this painful process and will rue the day that
Turkey is no longer tempted to join the European fraternity.

It is of course irrelevant to either Greece or Armenia whether
joining the EU is truly the best direction for Turkey. Both nations
realize that Turkey would pose a bigger threat to their interests
today if Turkey had not been under the EU microscope for roughly the
past decade. As long as it continues to seek entrance, the EU will
increasingly deny Turkey’s ability to pursue its traditional agendas.

It therefore appears likely that Greece and Armenia are hoping to use
Brussels as the means for realizing their own historic interests vis
a vis their greatest rival.

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