TurkishPress.com
Bad News From The E.U.
Published: 3/9/2005
BY TAMER KORKMAZ
ZAMAN- France has already planted a ~Qreferendum mine~R along Turkey~Rs path to
the European Union. Ankara didn~Rt even raise a word of protest.
A package of constitutional changes accepted by the French Parliament and
approved by President Jacques Chirac last week aims to block Turkey~Rs
European Union membership. The decision announces that new members will not
be admitted into the Union without the French public~Rs consent after 2007.
It~Rs obvious that the resolution aims to block Turkey~Rs path. [Turkey is
currently the only EU candidate projected to join after 2007]
Even if Turkey successfully completes full membership talks in the next
decade, the fate of Turkey~Rs membership will be decided by the French
people.
The ~Qreferendum barricade~R idea belongs to Nicolas Sarkozy, head of the
French government and the person most likely to succeed Chirac after
France~Rs next elections scheduled for 2007. Backed by his party, Sarkozy has
used the issue of Turkey~Rs EU membership as a weapon against Chirac. And at
last, he was able to make the French Parliament accept these constitutional
changes.
Sarkozy is offering ~Qprivileged partnership~R to Turkey, and 90 percent of
his party members support this scheme.
Sarkozy stands united with the German rightists who are expected to come to
power in the next German elections. In other words, the bloc against Turkey
within the EU will be fortified by the year 2007. Meanwhile, the French
public is being ~Qstuffed~R with Armenian ~Qgenocide~R claims.
At the same time, the Cyprus issue is also at hand. However, there is no
trace of a solution on the horizon. A few days ago, Greek Cypriot Justice
Minister Doros Theodoru made a significant confession. ~QOur efforts to date
have been aimed at preventing a solution,~R he said. ~QWe~Rll try to avoid
negotiations till Oct. 3. Then we~Rll pursue a solution within the framework
of EU law.~R
The Greek Cypriots~R strategy aims at forcing Turkey to recognize the Greek
Cypriot Republic. They~Rll block a solution until Oct. 3, and then Ankara
will have to recognize them in order to continue its EU membership
negotiations.
Greek Cypriots are the ones trying to prevent a solution, but Turkey has to
pay the price!
How will the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) sign the protocol
which grants recognition to the Greek Cypriots, when the Greek Cypriots have
officially announced that they have no intention of compromising?
On top of all this, just when the EU Troika was arriving in Istanbul this
weekend, female demonstrators were being beaten up by the Turkish police.
Europeans who oppose Turkey~Rs membership will certainly use this to their
advantage.
Turkish Press