Columnist Bekir Coskun of ''Hurriyet'' talks about the end of Turkey's EU dream.
You (The Turkish people) have refused to join the European Union (EU) on the election day, November 3rd, 2002.
At that period, there were two roads for Turkey.
The first road was about joining the Western civilization as a democratic, contemporary country.
The second was about going back.
You went to cast your votes and chose the second road.
You have refused to join the EU on November 3rd.
Instead of providing pictures from the modern Turkey, we have displayed pictures that resemble Iran.
Turkish women, who received certain rights before most of the women in European countries, got displayed wearing their headscarves on western newspapers. A prime minister who does not speak a foreign language talked on Islamic life style and the Sharia law.
Secular Republic of Turkey began to be called moderate Islam in the West.
The Turkish media and business community got into a tent of lies and made people believe these lies.
You have seen the result:
The European people do not want Turkey in their union. No matter what any one may say, the ''no'' vote in France on the EU Constitution is in fact a ''no'' to Turkey's EU membership. Turkey's EU dream is over.
There is no EU alternative for Turkey any more.
The tent of lies has collapsed...our dream of a civilized society has collapsed. Because, you chose to refuse (such a civilized life) on November 3rd, 2002.
(SOL-MS)
2005-06-02