BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Yesterday, in Brussels, we went through the longest day and night. While I was writing this article, the outcome was still uncertain. There was intensive diplomatic traffic in Brussels yesterday during the day, and hard bargaining lasted through the night. It seems we’ll learn of the outcome this morning or during the day. Now let’s list three encouraging developments for Turkey. Firstly, the European Parliament’s report envisaging starting membership talks with Turkey without delay was approved by a two-thirds majority. This is a hugely significant development. This vote gave the best answer to campaigns conducted by certain MEPs against Turkey as well as opposition from the European public. It means that the EP favors Turkey’s membership. The second important development was French President Jacque Chirac’s speech. He addressed both French and European public opinion as a pedagogue and the statesman with a vision, rather than an ordinary politician, and was a powerful example of courage and leadership. The third was EU Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso clearly voicing the commission’s support for Turkey’s membership during a press conference.
All these things indicate that the atmosphere among EU institutions and member countries is tipping in Turkey’s favor. However, will this ensure a decision that we like? As I wrote yesterday, getting a date for membership talks isn’t the only important thing. The final statement including such a decision should shape certain items in a way that is acceptable to Turkey. If a consensus based on the principle of win-win is forged, there will be a happy ending and Turkish-EU relations will finally reach the beginning of the end. Of course it will be the beginning of a long, tough road. Such a consensus can be reached only through mutual flexibility and sacrifice. But if the decision includes unacceptable conditions which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan must reject, obviously the next day will be the beginning of a something else entirely. Now let’s not write about such a negative scenario of mutual loss, but instead wait for the happy ending of this long day and night.