STAR- Columnist Semih Idiz writes on the recent tension in Turkish-EU relations prior to the EU Seville summit. A summary of his column is as follows:
The recent Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) has been turned into a battleground for the opposition front on both sides. On the one hand the co-chairman of the JPC, Joost Langendjik from the Netherlands, and on the other Turkish State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel chose to move the cacophony from the background into the fore. In other words, at a time when a reasonable, rational and constructive background was sorely needed in relations before the Seville summit, they preferred to step on each other’s toes. Reports coming from Brussels clearly point to this. The first tense moment came with Langendjik’s question directed at Gurel on Cyprus, asking if his opinions on the issue of annexation were the same. This question forwarded with the mistaken assumption that Turkey would annex Northern Cyprus if the EU decided to admit the Greek Cypriot administration into the organization certainly bore no sign of good will. The person answering such a question should have nerves of steel. This is clear. However, it seems that State Minister Sukru Gurel, instead of keeping his calm, chose to add fuel to the fire. The foreign and Turkish sources I talked to in Ankara said that such behavior should be considered normal for Gurel who is known as the government’s most hardliner hawk. Sometimes it seems that he is not pursuing the government’s policy but rather his own. Within this frame of mind, Gurel answered Langendjik’s absurd question by saying, ‘Are you talking about the entire island or the northern part?’ In frankness, we must admit that such a reply added nothing to our standing but provided instead fresh grist for the mill for the argument of the opposition front in the EU. Reporters hearing this exchange of opinions stated that Gurel’s reply led to an icy silence. I believe that the same chill was felt in the Turkish side of the JPC. This is not a constructive but a destructive approach. Gurel should have kept his calm, notwithstanding Langendjik’s absurd question of Langendjik and clearly laid out Turkey’s stand. In fact, he later expressed that Turkey’s intention was not to annex the island but go into an integration process with it. However, such an explanation came after the climate was disrupted and served no purpose under the circumstances. What is more, Gurel continued his words angrily and stated that the Greek Cypriot administration could not be a member to an organization before Turkey is admitted there. Even TRNC President Denktas has avoided voicing such a statement. Thus the tension was heightened. These words, which in fact amount to praying for something possible, were pronounced neither by Ankara nor by the TRNC. It seems that Mr. Gurel’s intention was not to get results but to just rebuke his counterpart. Certainly, Langendjik didn’t shy away from continuing to behave absurdly and in an unwarranted example, he suggested Turkey to enter a dialogue with the PKK terrorist organisation as in the case of Northern Ireland. In doing so, he ignored the fact that neither Britain nor the Irish Republic ever entered into a dialogue with the IRA. It is true that both countries initiated a dialogue with the political wing of the IRA, Sinn Fein. However, this came about as the result of an impasse going on for almost 40 years. In fact, the problem of Northern Ireland is not yet solved. However, the parliamentarian from the Netherlands also conveniently chose to ignore this fact. It is evident that Langendjik has no intention of discussing the issues in a civilized platform. Acting by impulses fed by his prejudices, he meant to disrupt the cool of his counterpart. Unfortunately, among us there are those who are ready to lose our heads and respond in kind to such absurdities instead of acting rationally. The result is apparent. Not a constructive but a destructive cacophony is seen in Turkish-EU relations.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION