By Mehmet Ali Birand
TDN- The details of the meetings in Berlin were never released.
This was the first such Turkish-German-French meeting that was so secret. The leaders didn't even bring their ambassadors to the meeting. Only two interpreters were allowed in. This attitude shows how sensitive the entire affair is.
From statements made by French President Jacques Chirac, the manner in which the three leaders behaved after the meeting and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan being all smiles gave us the impression that the Turkish side got what it wanted from the conference.
I called some French officials.
They also were very secretive. The only thing they said was: "President Chirac mentioned 2005. He implied that the negotiations could start in 2005 or early 2006. You should not be too uncomfortable with the developments. You are on the right track; however, don't forget that Chirac is under considerable pressure domestically. He is trying very hard not to change his overall opinion, despite the pressure."
From the conversations I had with certain Turkish officials who knew about the Berlin meeting, I got the same impression.
I can summarize the latest developments by noting that France is preparing to say "Yes, but." It intends to say "yes" to giving Turkey a date to start negotiations. Only the "but" remains. France is trying to prepare this "but" for domestic political reasons.
We should appreciate France being so sensitive to its domestic political situation; however, people should also be very sensitive about the opinions of the Turkish public. An attitude that estranges the Turkish public and eliminates their enthusiasm could halt this historic process.
The start of the negotiations with Turkey should not be tied to any additional conditions. For example, the Dec. 17 decision should not be tied to a positive 2005 progress report nor should it include a sentence like, "If the negotiations fail, a special status should be considered."
We, as a nation, want to get a clear date. We cannot accept any additional conditions that go beyond the bounds set by the European Union Commission progress report. This would disappoint the Turkish people and achieve nothing. The reform process would be damaged. And even the most ardent EU supporters would be forced to rethink their attitudes.
If France wants this, in other words, if it wants to curb Turkey's enthusiasm, such excessive gestures are not necessary. The mechanisms recommended by the EU Commission provide more than necessary amount of safety valves for the EU.
If additional conditions are set or sentences that may be construed differently are included in the decision merely as a way of dispelling domestic political fears, they will only result in damaging the sense of trust felt towards the EU. The view held by some in Turkey that the EU will never admit Turkey, no matter what it does, will gain strength.
Chirac is taking a huge risk, but...
Most of the debates waged by the French public are not about Turkey. Some are just domestic political wrangling, while others are based on the fear that French influence in Europe is gradually decreasing.
French President Chirac, despite reactions among the French public and a rebellion among politicians, continues to support Turkey's membership. He argues that this is a historic opportunity.
The expectations of all of us from the French president are the same: Don't miss this historic opportunity due to domestic politics.
There is also something none of us should forget, and that is the fact that we have yet to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. Harmonization with these criteria will take some time. The change in mentality of officials and the implementation of the laws will also take time. That's why we can't say, "We did what we had to; now it's your turn."
What we need to say is: "We made important advances. On some issues we need to do more. However, the negotiations should start for us to further these advances."
Such debates will continue to take place. There will be highs and lows up until Dec. 17. We may hear things, but we should never believe everything is positive nor should we think the opposite. We just need to be patient a little bit more.