Europeans miss Gül's policy making

But they have joined the international media in a comparative exegesis favoring Gül. "As much as we appreciate Gül's role in performing a proactive presidency, we wish he was still in government ensuring balance during these critical times," one senior EU official, who wished to remain unnamed, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

"The President is still the one calling for an acceleration of the pace of EU-related reforms. But Çankaya is like a golden cage. His capacity is limited in terms of shaping government policies," the official said.

Turkey's juggling of the recent political crisis caused by the constitutional turmoil, from April 2007 to the end of the closure case against the AKP, made Brussels more patient in its expectations of Ankara. August, however, marked a new era in the European attitude in anticipation of a quick return to the reform agenda as soon as the Constitutional Court ruling kept the AKP in power. Hopes for passionate signals were broken, however, as the government leaned toward an early local election campaign for March 2009

Talks by three different delegations from Europe in Ankara last week revealed the distressed nature of relations. The delegations did not leave Ankara with much hope. "Erdoğan is a pragmatist. Gül is more determined on the EU," Joost Lagendijks, a Euro parlamentarian told a Turkish counterpart Hürriyet Daily News & Economic review has learned.

Strong figure as EU chief
Europeans' nostalgia for Gül does not only stem from Erdoğan but also from the lack of an efficient EU chief to mobilize other institutions and ministries. While EU officials recognize Foreign Minister Ali Babacan as a vibrant and hard-working politician, they think the second hat he is holding as the chief-negotiator causes conflict due to heavy nature of Turkey's diverse foreign policy issues. Referring to Croatia's chief negotiator as almost a resident of Brussels, given the amount of lobbying he does for his country, officials indicate how far Turkey is lagging behind. Leaving aside Babacan's few trips to Brussels, he was not even present at the EU-Turkey JPC meeting in Ankara last week because he had to pay an official visit to Kyrgyzstan.

Not only the Europeans, but policy-makers in Ankara, are talking about the urgent necessity of decoupling the post of foreign minister and chief-negotiator. Although reports say Erdoğan is readying for a cabinet reshuffle, which also includes a possible assignment of a new chief negotiator for EU affairs who could efficiently fulfil a task both at home and in Brussels, it remains a highly sensitive question. AKP deputies, who are experienced in relations with the outside world, such as Egemen Bağış, Lütfi Elvan, Suat Kınıklıoğlu and Nursuna Memecan have been named as candidates.

A joke made by an EU member state diplomat, "How great would that be if President Gül left Çankaya and came back as the chief negotiator," not only praises Gül, but implies a desire for a strong figure as EU chief of the country.