By Yusuf Kanli
TDN- It's time to cool down and reassess the possible costs of this adultery mess for Turkey and the EU. Why shouldn't Parliament wrap up the TCK reform before Oct. 1 and focus on the adultery issue at a later date?
A few-hours-long discussion shaping the future of a country is rather rare, but that's what Turkey will be facing today. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's meetings in Brussels will be of crucial importance in the shaping not only of Turkey but also of the European Union.
There has been rampant speculation as to what the prime minister will tell his European counterparts in explaining the logic under which he has guided the country's EU ship into such turbulent waters with his adamance on the adultery issue.
There are expectations that the premier will tell EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen that he has decided not to insist on the adultery law and that reforms to the Penal Code will be wrapped up at an extraordinary session of Parliament next week. Such a development would be very much in line with his established policy of "two steps forward, one step back" and in harmony with his toned-down style over the past few days after his bizarre "This is Turkey, we are Turks, Europe cannot intervene in our affairs" statement. Still, Erdogan is a difficult character, and what course of action he will embark upon cannot be predicted.
In any case, the prime minister's Brussels meetings will perhaps provide our European friends with clues as to why such a comprehensive reform package was blown off at the very last minute for a minor issue like adultery, which in point of fact has been absent from the Turkish judicial system since 1996, with its absence failing to inflict any damage on the integrity of the Turkish family.
If, of course, the premier tells the Europeans what he had in mind in pushing so hard on the adultery issue, perhaps we -- as well as his deputies in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who are equally confused -- will have the opportunity to understand for what "noble cause" this whole crisis was experienced.
We still have a few days remaining until Parliament's Oct. 1 return from summer recess. Although for procedural reasons Parliament cannot start legislative activities for some three weeks after its return, the next couple of days before Parliament returns from its break could be utilized through an extraordinary session to eliminate this hurdle and thus prevent it from further damaging Turkey's EU prospects.
It's time to cool down and reassess the possible costs to Turkey and the EU of this adultery mess. Why shouldn't Parliament finish off the TCK reform before Oct. 1 and focus on the adultery issue at a later date?
The AKP government must understand that for the EU the problem is not just confined to the adultery law or the completion of the reforms in the Penal Code. With the developments of the past two weeks, deep suspicions have emerged in European capitals regarding the political identity of the AKP and the direction of reforms undertaken here, as well as whether or not Turkey has the political will to integrate with Europe.