BRUSSELS (AA) - After 45 years of waiting at the door, Turkey is now expecting a firm date from the European Union on December 17, 2004 to start entry talks. Turkey applied for partnership at the then European Economic Community (EEC) on July 31, 1959.
The period of four years of negotiations resulted in the signing of the Ankara Treaty on September 12, 1963 between Turkey and EEC. The treaty went into effect on January 1, 1964. The Ankara Treaty was signed to make Turkey a part of the Customs Union and eventually a full member of the community.
Turkey-EEC relations had ups and downs since the Ankara Treaty went into effect. The preparation period as indicated in the Partnership Agreement went smoothly, without any serious problems. However, within the beginning of the Transition Period and as of early 1973, Turkey-EU relations started to have problems.
The 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, Turkey's decision to freeze and postpone its responsibilities under the Joint Protocol in 1978, Turkish army's military intervention in 1980 and EU's decision to cut off relations on January 22, 1982 have played prominent roles in deterioration of Turkish-EU ties.
In the same period, the EU decided not to deliver 600 million ECU that was to be given to Turkey under the fourth Financial Protocol.
The silence in Turkey-EU relations during 1982-1986 ended when Turkey-EEC Joint Council convened on September 16, 1986.
In an effort to speed up and improve relations, Turkey submitted an application to the EU on April 14, 1987 for full membership. Two years after Turkish application was submitted, the EU Commission made public its report on Turkey. The report focused on the economic and social differences present at the time between Turkey and EU.
The Council approved a plan designed by the EU Commission to develop ties with Turkey, facilitate customs union, increase financial assistance, improve industrial cooperation and generate strong political dialogue. On January 1, 1996, Customs Union with Turkey went into effect officially.
The EU summit that took place in Luxembourg in December 1997 carried great importance for the union's enlargement, but was a total disappointment for Turkey and Turks living in EU countries. While the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Greek Cypriot administration were announced as candidate countries for full membership, Turkey was simply left out and was not mentioned as a candidate for full membership. Justifications for leaving Turkey out of the list of candidate countries included topics such as ''human rights violations,'' ''the Cyprus problem,'' and ''Turkish-Greek disputes.''
Turkey strongly protested the EU stand in Luxembourg. Turkey immediately suspended political ties in certain areas with the EU. Despite some positive steps taken in Cardiff, Vienna and Cologne summits, it was not until December 1999 when the EU officially declared Turkey as a candidate country at the Copenhagen Summit.
A prominent problem in Turkey-EU relations in the 21st century has to do with the uncertainty about a date that will witness the beginning of entry talks with the EU.
The European Council Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2002 concluded with a decision to let ten candidate countries into the union as of May 1, 2004. The Copenhagen Summit envisaged the possibility of giving Turkey a date for the beginning of entry negotiations in December 2004, based on the Council's Progress Report and Commission's evaluations in 2004. ''The EU promised Turkey that as soon as it met the Copenhagen Criteria, Turkey would receive a date for the beginning of entry talks,'' said a Turkish diplomat.
Turkey continued to adopt and ratify new economic and political reforms throughout 2003. Within the frame of reforms, Turkey amended laws pertaining to political parties, media, non-governmental organizations. There were amendments related to 16 legal topics. Important amendments took place so as to make appeals to the European Court of Human Rights easier and faster. There were also amendments made in laws dealing with fight against terror. The term ''terror'' was re-defined. Turks received rights to air programs and print publications in different languages.
The European Council summit took place in Thessaloniki on June 19-20. The summit in Greece saw the transfer of the term presidency to Italy. Candidate countries participated as observers in the summit. Turkey was represented in Thessaloniki by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
On November 5, the EU Commission announced the 2003 Turkey Progress Report and Strategy Document and touched on political and economic steps taken by Turkey to fulfill the requirements of the Copenhagen Criteria. The report mentioned that Turkey has taken impressive steps within the past 12 months. However, the report said, Turkey needs to work on the impartiality of courts, protection of basic human rights, bringing Turkish military-civilian relations to the EU standards, improvement of cultural rights and development of south-east Turkey. The European Union has affirmed that it will continue to work with Turkey based on the decisions to be taken at its summit on December 17, 2004.
On January 9, 2004, Turkey amended its laws and abolished death penalty. Turkey signed the 13th protocol of the European Human Rights Treaty that puts an end to death penalty. On February 19, 2004, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots started negotiations under the framework of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan.
A referendum took place in two Cyprus communities on April 24, 2004. While 64.9 percent of Turkish-Cypriots approved the Annan plan, 75.83 percent of Greek-Cypriots voted against it.
On May 1, 2004, the fifth enlargement of the EU took place and Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Malta, and the Greek Cypriot administration joined the EU as new full members.
On June 22, 2004, the European Parliamentary Assembly ended its audit of Turkey. On July 7, 2004, the European Commission announced comprehensive measures to help lift the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
On October 6, the European Commission announced its Turkey report in which it mentioned that Turkey has met the political requirements with its impressive reforms and recommended that entry talks with Turkey begin as soon as possible. The commission's document elaborated that entry talks must begin so that reforms in Turkey continue without delays. However, the document commented, entry talks have an open end and that the beginning of entry talks does not necessarily imply that Turkey will become a full member. ''The result of the entry talks can not be guaranteed.'' According to the report, the commission may recommend the end of entry talks in case it detects serious violation of freedoms and democratic rights (including human rights) in Turkey. ''All developments in violation of the EU treaty and European Constitution would mean the end of entry talks,'' told an EU source.
The criteria to be fulfilled by candidate countries is the one prepared in Copenhagen 11 years ago. ''The candidate countries must reach the standards that were defined in Copenhagen.''
There are now four countries expecting to enter the union as full members: Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.
Hoping to receive a date on December 17 for the beginning of entry talks, Turkey actually faces a tough road ahead. While there are strong supporters of the beginning of entry talks, Turkey is not without an opposition from various European political and economic circles. Just as there are supporters of entry talks, opposition from several countries is clearly evident. Further, there are also people in the EU that would like to offer Turkey only a ''privileged partnership'' rather than full membership.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has given Turkey an open and clear support. ''We can not offer anything but a full membership to Turkey,'' he said.
French President Jacques Chirac has also given statements recently in support of the beginning of entry talks with Turkey. Yet Chirac's own political party, UMP, chairman Nicolas Sarkozy is an opponent of Turkish full membership in the EU.
The upcoming EU term president Luxembourg has given support to Turkey's entry talks. According to several British sources, Britain, who will become the EU term president on July 1, 2005, wants entry talks to begin during its term.
Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia and Ireland are in favor of starting entry negotiations.
Both France and Denmark are proponents of giving Turkey a ''privileged partnership''.
Austria and Slovakia have reservations for Turkish membership in the EU.
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Malta are among countries that are experiencing difficulty in making a decision on Turkey. The Greek Cypriot administration demands recognition of its entity by Turkey.
With only hours remaining for the EU summit in Brussels, Turkey is conducting active diplomacy in European capitals. ''Turkey rightfully is expecting a date from the EU on December 17 for the start of entry talks. Turkey does not want any new conditions in front of its face and definitely would reject a possible offer by the EU for a 'privileged partnership'. Turkey has done its homework in fulfilling the requirements of the Copenhagen Criteria. It is now time for the EU to do its own homework and start entry negotiations,'' said a Turkish cabinet member.
Turkey has expressed time and time again that it wishes for transparent and open entry talks. ''The issue of Cyprus should not be a pre-condition to start entry talks. We will work on Cyprus within the framework of the United Nations and Mr. Kofi Annan's good office,'' told a Turkish diplomat.
A recent report prepared by the Turkish State Planning Organization (DPT) and titled ''The Impact of Turkey's Membership on Europe'' notes that a full member Turkey would contribute to the economy of the EU significantly. According to the DPT report, in the period 2014-2020, Turkish economy would grow six percent annually.
In 2014, per capita income in Turkey would be over 9,000 U.S. dollars. Turkey's membership would contribute 386 billion Euros to the EU in the period 2014-2020. Turkey's imports from other European Union countries would reach an amount greater than 150 billion Euros in 2020, compared to current imports valued at only 28 billion Euros.
The DPT report carefully points out to the fact that the EU will need a young working force in the near future. When Turks are granted free movement in the EU, only about two million Turkish citizens will move to other EU countries in the next 15 years. The DPT report further states that every one in Turkey would be literate in 2020 and more than 50 percent of its population would be technically trained and/or educated in at least one field. ''This creates a great potential for the EU who will need trained and young personnel in the next decade.'' Based on data published in the DPT report, it is evident that unemployment in Turkey will fall to 9.5 percent in 2014 and 5.4 percent in 2020.
A full EU member Turkey will be one of the top five European giants in the decision making mechanism. A member Turkey will be strongly represented in the European parliament and have equal voting rights along with Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy. As a full member, Turkey will have 80 representatives in the EU parliament. Turkey will have 29 representatives in the EU Council.
There are currently about 14 million Muslims in the EU countries. DPT's report suggests that, in the event the EU summit refuses to give a date to Turkey for entry talks on December 17, this would result in tensions between Muslims and Christians in Europe. ''Unless the EU offers full membership to Turkey, it will be regarded as a 'Christian club' by millions around the globe,'' told a Turkish source.
(ES-A֩
2004-12-15