Would 35 Parties With 100 DJs Be Enough For The European Ideal?

BY FERAI TINC
HURRIYET- The European Union is celebrating its 50th anniversary by pandering to the public. Even if 100 DJs gave European young people an unforgettable weekend at the parties in 35 discotheques in Berlin, trying to enjoy the European ideal, it's still uncertain how the last half-century will act to guarantee the next. The EU yesterday tried to explain the most critical step to the public, but without using the word `constitution.' It was weird. It was also strange that Europe, which invited Turkey to Rome when the constitution was being signed and gave the message that we have a common future, this time around excluded Turkey in order not to scare the public on the 50th anniversary. Thus it neither followed the European ideal, nor was it equal to the will and courage of the founders who had laid the EU's foundation.

I would expect more meaningful celebration from the EU during its 50th anniversary, instead of ignoring the issues facing it and brushing aside the day with concerts, dances and parties costing millions of euro from the EU's coffers. What a shame! It's a shame, because it shows the great difference between 1957 in terms of political will, when the Treaty of Rome was signed. Unless Europe regains this will, it can never find good answers to such issues and questions as Turkey's membership, how the enlargement process will continue, Europe's integration with its non-Christian population, whether it will be a regional power and of course if it will be able to make institutional changes in order to do all this. The European ideal can't be passed down to future generations by hiding Turkey in the closet. You can't stop the intertwining of fate between Turkey and Europe. Sooner or later somebody will need to say that all the promises, decisions and agreements were lies.

Sunday will be evaluated as a point of confrontation not only in Turkish-EU relations, but also in European history. Its political reflections are at odds with Europe's ideals. I'd like to ask some questions to those who prepared the Berlin declaration, which starts by saying we EU citizens love each other today as never before and are united for our future, and which ends with a statement against racism and xenophobia. Excluding Turkey is supporting the Turcophobia and racism and xenophobia which has developed in recent years, isn't it? How can cozying up to xenophobia pass on the European ideal to future generations? Ties with Turkey and insistence on the process of unification are the best way to combat racism and xenophobia. Deepening these relations will unify the people around real European ideals and make peace, democracy and a harmonious life of differences possible. Otherwise, even if everybody dances at parties with a thousand DJs every night, enthusiasm for peace and a new world will always remain elusive.