WE SHOULDN’T CONTRIBUTE TO REHN’S ISOLATION
Selcuk Gultasli
Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 21 2006
Putting aside friction on the Cyprus issue, it’s necessary to give
enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn his due. In spite of the wave
of anti-Turkish sentiment rising in Europe and pressure from many
prominent European politicians who have turned enmity towards Turks
into political empowerment, he kept a balance in the progress report
that is worthy of commendation.
What he said at the press conference while announcing the report
was the best he could do. His words, "Contrary to what is widely
believed in Europe, Turkey did not take a step backwards in its reform
efforts; it continued the reforms last year, only at a slower pace,"
disappointed Turkey’s opponents from the start.
Looking at the outcry of anti-Turkish activities across the board
from Plassnik to Stoiber and from Merkel to the Armenian lobby, it
is clear that expectations of a suspension in accession talks with
Rehn’s report have turned out to be mainly unfulfilled.
Christian Democrats are bombarding Rehn with criticism because he
didn’t display the "brave" stand they showed in their reports blaming
Turkey for two more genocides.
The Armenian lobby reproached the Commission’s "double standard"
for not even including the expression, "1915’s tragic events," which
was in last year’s progress report.
A broad spectrum of Turkey’s opponents, enemies, and racists have made
an alliance to eliminate the influence and legitimacy of Rehn’s report.
Thus, showing the "daring" to delay his Cyprus recommendation for
a month, Rehn is being pushed to prepare the recommendation in the
most critical way, which is expected to be ready in December.
The progress report and strategy paper crystallized at a point of
balance keeping Cyprus and the reform process separate.
While these two reports and the responses to them have mainly occupied
the press, the Commission’s new enlargement plan, which was published
in the strategy paper, wasn’t discussed much in Turkey.
The real reason for Rehn explaining at length that the politics
of enlargement was not a high-speed train, that the quality of the
trip and the safety of the passengers were more important than the
train’s speed and that the aim was to arrive at the station without
a derailment, is the reality that Europe’s enlargement process is
going to advance more slowly.
It can be understood within the framework of the afore-mentioned
plan that Turkey’s candidacy, which already possesses the "heaviest"
conditions, is going to be subject to closer scrutiny.
Combining the EU’s quite cautious approach slowly turning against
enlargement with the Cyprus issue, using Rehn’s metaphor, the front
opposed to Turkey wants to derail Turkey from the track.
It’s necessary not to contribute to Rehn’s isolation, who is trying
to end Cyprus’s isolation, on Turkey’s account.
Significant moves made outside of Cyprus before the December summit
that would lighten up the Commission’s recommendation would also be
helpful to Rehn.
Article 301 of the Turkish penal code has become an embarrassing
monkey on Turkey’s back but could be useful during this period. The
only way for some ‘good’ to come out of 301 is for it to be either
eliminated or amended.