By Yusuf Kanli
The road ahead will be rather difficult and the length of it will largely depend on how ready Turks are to comply with the acquis and compromise on some key areas that we today consider the backbone of our state and society
Reports from European capitals indicate the European Commission's report assessing Turkey's progress towards European Union membership criteria, to be published on Wednesday, will be so highly critical of the country that "it will not be easy for Turkey to swallow all that has been written."
That's indeed no news; many people in Turkey were expecting as much. Following the latest adultery crisis being resolved and despite a hitch over the name of the Turkish Cypriot State blocking an EU-OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) meeting, Turkey abided with its pledge and expanded on Saturday its customs union deal with the EU to cover all ten new members -- including the Greek Cypriot State. Ankara should receive a blanket green card from the EU Commission this Wednesday and subsequently from European leaders in December for the start of accession talks "without delay."
For many Turks the opening of accession talks is no longer an if-or-when scenario, but rather a question of when will they be completed and when will Ankara conclude the accession process: Five or 10 years -- or in 2015, as EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen has cited as "the earliest" date for Turkey's accession.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, rightfully, declared only on Sunday in a one-day last-ditch effort to win crucial German backing to Turkey's EU aspirations, that Ankara expected EU leaders to act in a statesmenlike manner, abide with their obligations towards Turkey, acknowledge that it has completed its compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria and that it should be given a date without imposing any new conditions.
Whether there was a need to deliver such a statement and whether it serves any purpose will be seen in a few days time. Seemingly, to date, we have been trying to comply with written conditions while pretending we are unaware of unwritten norms upon which the EU has been built. Seeking negotiated settlements, reaching compromised solutions and preferring dialogue and cooperation, rather than getting engaged in antagonism and confrontation, are just some elements of the EU code of conduct.
No one can deny that over the past decade, particularly since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power, Turkey has made much headway in freedom of speech, minority rights, the rule of law, women's rights and civilian control of the military. The Turkish Penal Code (TCK) reform, despite some five or six nasty articles we believe will have to be amended once again in order to cope with EU standards, was in itself a major stride forward.
Steps taken over Cyprus and the most recent customs union move, despite the EU still dragging its feet in keeping its pledges to the Turkish Cypriot people, is in itself a demonstration of the strong will in Ankara to compromise for the sake of EU accession.
We must concede as well that implementation of the reforms have been rather slow and pockets of resistance to the reforms, particularly in the judiciary and some key sectors of Turkish society, still exists. There is, on the other hand, a demonstrated political will for the full implementation of the reforms, a fact that the EU Commission must also take into account in making its recommendation on Turkey to the EU Council.
Turkey cannot claim to have completed its compliance with all the criteria required to become an EU member. What's at stake, however, is not membership, but the start of the membership accession process. Both Ankara and our European allies must bear this in mind. Hasty statements, such as a date for the start of accession talks would automatically mean Turkish accession, or, the accession talks are to be open-ended with Turkey's membership being determined at a later date, can only land this long process in deadlock right from the very beginning. Aware of the difficulties ahead, both the EU and Ankara must treat each other honestly and without ulterior motives.
How long the accession process will take largely depends on how rapidly Turkey completes its abidance with the EU acquis.
We Turks tend to make an assessment error: Accession talks will not be a negotiating process regarding what elements of the acquis will be applied in Turkey, it will be one monitoring compliance with the entire acquis. We should better understand this as a fact.
The road ahead will be rather difficult and the length of it will largely depend on how ready Turks are to comply with the acquis and compromise on some key areas that we today consider the backbone of our state and our society.