The Europeans Are Being Insincere

STAR- Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on the European Union member countries’ stance on Turkey. A summary of her column is as follows:
After meeting with a great many leaders in Prague last week, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said, ‘All the Europeans that I met with personally say that they want to give Turkey a date for European Union membership negotiations. They say that it is others who are hindering our getting a date. However, when we meet with the leaders said to be doing the hindering, we always get the same response: “It is not us, but rather the other countries who are creating obstacles to a date.” I don’t think that the Europeans are acting sincerely.’ Actually this situation reads like a summary of Turkey’s European misadventure over the past 30 years. What’s more, just 20 days before the Copenhagen summit, they spring new conditions on us. Now, a solution to the Cyprus issue is a condition. Sezer had this to say: ‘There’s no relation between Turkey’s EU membership bid and the Cyprus problem. When the EU started negotiations with the Greek Cypriots, who are a direct party to the problem, it didn’t stipulate that the problem had to be solved. It’s hypocritical for the EU to now stipulate that Turkey, which is an indirect party, must solve this problem to get a date for negotiations. The EU should end this sorry business.’ Sezer says that the Cyprus issue shouldn’t be a condition for giving Turkey a date. However, Sezer’s words were drowned out by Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s words implying that the Cyprus problem, the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and giving Turkey a date for membership negotiations would be discussed as parts of a package. Some three weeks before the Copenhagen summit, the atmosphere is as follows: steps concerning democratization and human rights are priority issues in the list of the things Turkey must address at home. Although not as urgently, the list also says the role of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) within Turkey’s government should be reduced. The second list stipulates that Turkey will solve the Cyprus problem and reach a consensus on the ESDP issue. Actually the ESDP problem has been solved. However, the Cyprus issue continues to stand as a kind of ‘diplomatic mountain’ in front of Turkey. The European front is divided into three: on the one hand, there is Britain, Italy and Spain, which favor giving Turkey a date for membership negotiations. It’s possible to add Greece to this group. The countries that can be considered as ‘sitting on the fence’ are Denmark and Sweden. France has also given the signal that it might enter this group, or even the group of supporters. The other EU member countries are generally not in favor of giving Turkey a date for membership negotiations. Germany leads this group. Austria is the most negative member of this group. However, a change of decision in Germany could cause a quick switch to another group. Against this background, Sezer’s visit to Germany this week and his meeting with German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder are very important. After Erdogan’s visit to Germany last week, it will be Sezer’s responsibility to bring around Germany, which has started to inch over positively.’ If Sezer is successful in pushing Germany further, the remaining responsibility will fall on Erdogan, who will go on a tour of Europe this week.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION