By Yusuf Kanli
TDN- Remarks made by the prime minister on Monday were in sharp contrast to his earlier style. Rather than confrontation, he was talking of cooperation, contribution and co-habitation. He was clear in expressing what he wanted but careful to avoid a head-on collision. Were his remarks the product of a deception ahead of the December EU summit, or has he really managed to control his temper?
Most politicians don't like to be criticized, and our prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is no exception. He must have been fed up with the constant suspicion both in Turkey and abroad about whether he had really changed and become an EU-oriented reformist, or whether he was just an Islamist in disguise with a hidden agenda, waiting for the appropriate time to unleash it.
But his approach and attitude have fluctuated so much of late that one cannot simply ignore the recent past of this premier, who was once imprisoned for inciting religious hatred and accused of gross misuse of office -- although he was acquitted of all charges after becoming prime minister.
Is it possible to turn a blind eye to the colossal transformation and reform drive his government has undertaken in this country over the last two years? Or is it possible to forget the "This is Turkey, we are Turks, Europe cannot interfere in our affairs" antagonism he demonstrated when pressured by Europe to brush aside the adultery law he very much wanted to include in the Penal Code reform package?
Still, his success in restoring his calm and making a U-turn towards the much-appreciated reformist character must as well be saluted. Can anyone forget his professional skill in extricating himself from the adultery crisis while engaged in talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen and very masterly laying all the blame on the Turkish press and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP)?
If examined objectively, the EU Commission's report on Turkey was a "yes" for the start of accession talks with Turkey, but as EU President Romano Prodi said, it was a "qualified yes" -- a gentle way of saying a "conditional yes." Most Turks, including the prime minister, were not at all happy with the conditions, although they could not ignore the "yes" part of the report, either.
Speaking at a "Local Administrations and EU" seminar hosted by the Ankara Municipality, Erdogan was at the height of his political caliber. Rather than confrontation, he was talking of cooperation, contribution and co-habitation. He was clear in expressing what he wanted but careful to avoid a head-on collision. Were his remarks the product of a deception ahead of the December EU summit, or has he really managed to control his temper?
These were Erdogan's messages:
Turkey wants to believe that it will be treated fairly and will not be subjected to discrimination.
Turkey hopes and expects that in deciding a date for the start of accession talks, EU leaders will be sure to make a decision that will not discriminate against Turkey as regards the results of the process and that will guarantee the viability of the accession talks process.
Ankara expects that people stressing Turkey's cultural and religious differences with Europe as elements of separation will not be given credibility.
The world, both East and West, has suffered much from viewing things in only black or white. None of the states of the world can claim sole ownership of universal values. Absolute truth has more than one dimension, and civilization is not a singular, monotonous, standardizing set of values. For us, Turkey is a country that has made immense contributions to universal norms. This country has the inheritance of the inalienable norms of humanity. Turkey's progress towards EU membership is not a solitary march devoid of mutual interaction.
Rather than confining itself to cultural-religious talk, the EU could best garner strength by converting the individual cultural richness of its members into a common richness of the club.
The assumption that Turkey will become a heavy burden on the EU once it joins is wrong.
Turkey wants to be perceived by the EU not as a burden but as a prospective member.
We believe that Dec. 17 will be a new beginning not only for Turkey-EU relations; it will also be a new beginning for a new world.
I liked this Prime Minister Erdogan more than the one having confrontations with everyone.