Eu Membership: Turkey's Dream Or Nightmare?

[Siamanto]

Something is changing... or is it?

Turkish Daily News: 11/9/2004

By Gunduz Aktan

 

Turkish Daily News

Nov 10 2004

 

TDN- Following the European Union's failure to lift the embargoes on

the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) following the referendum

in Cyprus our liberal Turkish friends, who were previously fervent

supporters of EU membership, have begun to show their irritation. They

also criticized former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies Leyla Zana

and her friends' statements in support of the terrorist Kurdistan

Workers' Party (PKK/Kongra-Gel) after their release from prison. The

separatism in the progress report released by the European Commission

also annoyed many liberals. Some were even angry with the release of

the "minority report" in the name of the Prime Ministry.

 

The government did not shrink from criticizing the EU and the United

States for the continuing isolation of the KKTC. Prime Minister Recep

Tayyip Erdogan's criticism of French President Jacques Chirac's support

of the referendum to French newspapers in the context of the progress

report also created a stir. He also failed to endorse the minority

report prepared on behalf of the Prime Ministry.

 

After the European Court of Human Rights' decision on the headscarf

issue and the debate on adultery, religious sections in society

realized that it would not be getting what it expected from the EU on

the matters of secularism and religious freedom and began to discuss

EU membership's true pros and cons.

 

At last, the power of those who demanded the protection of Turkey's

fundamental rights and interests has visibly increased. This way,

society gets the opportunity to begin a more active debate on the

EU's membership negotiation process.

 

The EU is putting pressure on Greek Cypriots -- who rejected the Annan

plan -- not to prevent Turkey getting a date to begin negotiations on

Dec. 17. Despite this, the Greek Cypriot leadership that has increased

the force of its threat to veto the negotiations if Turkey does not

recognize them, goes too far and they may tie their own hands. However,

they must know that if they use their veto on Dec. 17, they will not

only lose any chance in being recognized, but they will also destroy

any possibility of a solution on the island.

 

At this juncture, some, including a few Justice and Development Party

(AKP) deputies, have started to argue that we can't progress in the

negotiations without recognizing the EU-member Greek Cypriots, while

stressing the need to accept this unfortunate fact of life.

 

In foreign affairs, one needs to make a correct analysis of what the

opposite side wants. KKTC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat says that the

Greek Cypriot Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL), which was

supposed to vote for the Annan plan, decided to vote against it 15 days

before the referendum. Why did they change their position; I wonder?

 

In the 1999 Helsinki summit statement, it was said that if the Aegean

problems were not resolved by the end of 2004, the matter would

be taken to the European Court of Justice in The Hague. However,

it appears that Greece has no intention of going to The Hague. Why

are they running away from justice?

 

With the start of the accession negotiation, we will begin receiving

economic aid from the EU and will implement a serious harmonization

program. Soon after, our membership process will pass the point of

no return. It appears the Greek Cypriots and the Greeks believe they

will be able to get more from us during this process than they would

with the Annan plan or from the European Court of Justice in The Hague.

 

In foreign politics, we can't decide on what we are going to do

without knowing what we want. At first glance, it may appear that

the decision to recognize the Greek Cypriots as the "Republic of

Cyprus" might be a spur of the moment judgment without any long-term

consequences. However, the recognition will not end with this and

will become a process lasting years. A portion of the media and the

business world may not pass over this matter with a "Thank God we

took care of that" campaign.

 

Legally, we can't recognize either the Greek Cypriots or the KKTC. By

recognizing the Greek Cypriots, we will be disassociating ourselves

from the KKTC. As a result, we will be accepting the regime that

violently overthrew the 1960 system in 1963 and abused the Turks

until 1974 as legitimate. The state structure of the KKTC will

enter a process of disintegration and we will start withdrawing our

military from the island, which will become an illegal occupation

force. Together with the settlers the Turkish Cypriots, who will feel

abandoned, will start migrating to Turkey. Greek Cypriots will begin

to seize their properties in the north. A similar process will begin in

the Aegean and we will be forced to yield to Greek demands there too.

 

Can Turkey tolerate such a tragedy, with every day bringing another

unfortunate development, for years? What will the consequences of

such submissive behavior be in the Southeast or towards Armenian

demands? Won't the seriousness of the domestic crisis we will face

continue beyond the political future of the AKP?

 

If we are not going to accept this, we need to make this absolutely

clear, together with possible ways out. I believe we might be able

to pull it off.

 

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