EuroParliament race opens with old song
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Fulya Özerkan
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 12, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Turkey has once again become an easy target for European leaders as the continent gears up for European Parliament elections set for June 7.
In weekend remarks, German and French leaders Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated their opposition to Ankara joining the 27-nation bloc, an indicator of short-time calculations to achieve political means, according to EU experts who spoke with the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review yesterday.
"This is no surprise," Can Baydarol of Istanbul's private Bilgi University told the Daily News. "European leaders are igniting a debate over Turkey due to their failure to find solutions to global problems, but Turkey is standing at the center of a solution to the world's problems, thus opening a debate over Turkey would only serve complicate the existing problems." German Chancellor Merkel, who proposes a privileged partnership with Turkey instead of full membership, said, "We cannot take in everyone in Europe as a full member."
Her remarks came at an event organized by her conservative Christian Democratic Union.
"We have to talk about the borders of this Europe," she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
"It makes no sense if there are ever more members, and we can't decide anything anymore," she said. "It is right that we say to people in the European election campaign É our common position is: a privileged partnership for Turkey, but no full membership."
French President Sarkozy, a vocal opponent of Turkish membership, was quoted as telling Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the EU must "stop making vain promises to Turkey and study with the creation of a big common economic and human space."
"The problem is that for short-term political advantages [Turkey's EU bid] is being abused by some European leaders, and it is profoundly damaging the situation," Hugh Pope, senior analyst of the International Crisis Group, told the Daily News.
Pope, however, highlighted that the owner of the accession process was the applicant country, namely Turkey, which has to prove that it really wants the EU rules and regulations to improve its prosperity.
"It is going to be pretty difficult to get a positive response from Europe. We had this before at several points along Turkey's 50-year journey to the EU. There have been moments where it has been difficult, but Turkey has always had its best interest in just moving forward," said Pope. "Turkey is a poor country compared to the EU, but Turkey is the applicant country. It is not a strategic relationship. Turkey is trying to join the club and has to prove that it is sincere."
Debates to carry on
Turkey's newly appointed foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, warned last week that Turkey must not be used as a propaganda instrument by European leaders who want to make strides in domestic politics and urged the EU to abide by its past commitments.
"Turkey should develop a strategy to win the hearts and minds of the European public instead of exaggerating the opposition voiced by especially French and German leaders, who will not be in power by the time Turkey joins the EU," said Atila Eralp, director of the Center for European Studies of the Middle East Technical University. "There have always been ups and downs in Turkish-EU relations throughout history, and we all know that debates over Turkey will carry on. Turkey must carefully monitor the process and do its homework to join the bloc."
Turkey has many friends in the EU like Sweden, Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland and even Greece, according to Pope. "Turkey must be working with those countries to build up its case to be accepted as an equal partner."
"This is no surprise," Can Baydarol of Istanbul's private Bilgi University told the Daily News. "European leaders are igniting a debate over Turkey due to their failure to find solutions to global problems, but Turkey is standing at the center of a solution to the world's problems, thus opening a debate over Turkey would only serve complicate the existing problems." German Chancellor Merkel, who proposes a privileged partnership with Turkey instead of full membership, said, "We cannot take in everyone in Europe as a full member."
Her remarks came at an event organized by her conservative Christian Democratic Union.
"We have to talk about the borders of this Europe," she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
"It makes no sense if there are ever more members, and we can't decide anything anymore," she said. "It is right that we say to people in the European election campaign É our common position is: a privileged partnership for Turkey, but no full membership."
French President Sarkozy, a vocal opponent of Turkish membership, was quoted as telling Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the EU must "stop making vain promises to Turkey and study with the creation of a big common economic and human space."
"The problem is that for short-term political advantages [Turkey's EU bid] is being abused by some European leaders, and it is profoundly damaging the situation," Hugh Pope, senior analyst of the International Crisis Group, told the Daily News.
Pope, however, highlighted that the owner of the accession process was the applicant country, namely Turkey, which has to prove that it really wants the EU rules and regulations to improve its prosperity.
"It is going to be pretty difficult to get a positive response from Europe. We had this before at several points along Turkey's 50-year journey to the EU. There have been moments where it has been difficult, but Turkey has always had its best interest in just moving forward," said Pope. "Turkey is a poor country compared to the EU, but Turkey is the applicant country. It is not a strategic relationship. Turkey is trying to join the club and has to prove that it is sincere."
Debates to carry on
Turkey's newly appointed foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, warned last week that Turkey must not be used as a propaganda instrument by European leaders who want to make strides in domestic politics and urged the EU to abide by its past commitments.
"Turkey should develop a strategy to win the hearts and minds of the European public instead of exaggerating the opposition voiced by especially French and German leaders, who will not be in power by the time Turkey joins the EU," said Atila Eralp, director of the Center for European Studies of the Middle East Technical University. "There have always been ups and downs in Turkish-EU relations throughout history, and we all know that debates over Turkey will carry on. Turkey must carefully monitor the process and do its homework to join the bloc."
Turkey has many friends in the EU like Sweden, Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland and even Greece, according to Pope. "Turkey must be working with those countries to build up its case to be accepted as an equal partner."