AKSAM- Columnist Izzet Sedes writes on the recent climate in the EU countries and its possible effects on Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:
These days when you read European countries’ newspapers, you see that a great majority concentrates on the US-Al Qaeda conflict, the US-Russian- NATO rapprochement, upcoming elections in some European countries, recent resolutions taken by the European Parliament regarding the implementation of joint foreign and defense policies, and the desire for a ‘European Government.’ If these resolutions become certain, the European Convention chaired by Giscard d’Estaing will be called on to decide on the issues. Can we fall into step with these policies? It is impossible for our views and the policy pursued by Ankara to be compatible with those mentioned above. Therefore, our hopes would lie in their rejection. Otherwise, our dreams of becoming an EU member will be dashed. Recently, populism which is in a way trying to gain the favor of the people, has reached new heights in Europe. As a result of populist policies, Turks living in Europe will be affected adversely. In order to appease the traditional native populations, xenophobia and ‘restriction of asylum’ ideas are developing everywhere. Parties are exploiting the issue of foreigners as much as possible, and leftist parties cannot oppose it and in fact agree with some of their arguments. In Germany, where 200,000 Turkish citizens live, Christian Democrat candidate Edmund Stoiber is leading Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder in the polls, says, ‘40% of the Turks in our country do not complete school, and there is a great problem of cultural adaptation. Turkey is an important NATO ally, but I don’t think it should become an EU member.’ Can we become an EU member country if this man becomes chancellor? That is why we are falling behind in our dream of becoming an EU member.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION