Turkey & the EU; I'll take a Falafel with that Croissant

- Vanessa Johnston

Amid the bright lights of Turkey’s two great cities, Ankara and Istanbul, the country seems to boast an air of modernization, sophistication, and a rich culture unrivaled by its European neighbors. Tourists flood the city streets, beaches, and cafes, marveling at the architectural genius of the mosques and castles. From their perspective, one could safely assume that Turkey is a country on the up and up. Declared a secular republic by its founder Kemal Attaturk in 1923, this predominantly Muslim state (about 99.8% of the population) has made a concerted effort to suppress extremism and to follow a path of modernization. As of late, the economy has been sustained steady growth and has seen the unprecedented election of a female Prime Minister. But outside the cities, beyond the lights that project an image of prosperity, the rest of the nation exists in grave poverty and is steeped in old traditions that imply anything but modernity - these are but a few of the conundrums that the European Union is grappling with in regards to Turkey’s bid for EU membership.

It has taken both a great deal of effort and considerable patience on Turkey’s part before they could convince Europe to accept its bid. Having attempted to open formal negotiations on EU membership for the first time in 1987, it wasn’t until October of 2005 that Europe began to seriously consider the strategic benefits of having Turkey become “one of them”, and so negotiations began. For Tony Blair, Turkey’s advantageous geographic location, nestled between two continents, Europe and Asia, means that the EU could have considerable influence in stabilizing the volatile region of the Middle East and in mending relations between them. It could also mean security for Europe in the future, as Turkey’s military is sizeable and they border problematic countries such as Iraq and Iran. With their vast population, second in Europe to only that of Germany, Turkey also could provide a huge pool of labor to a rapidly ageing EU, and goods that could strengthen the Union’s economy. So, with security and economic advantages within their grasp, why have Europe’s leaders been so hesitant?

One reason is the attitudes of European electorates. The latest polls show that only 20% of Europeans are in favor of Turkey joining the EU. Turkey is just not “European” enough, many argue. And in many aspects, this is true. Turkey is a developing democracy that cannot compete with the wealth of the European Union’s powerhouses. Also, the country’s human rights record is weak despite recent reforms they’ve instituted to appease the European Council, such as recognizing the Kurdish minority’s language and culture, abolishing the death penalty, strengthening women’s rights, and reforming the penal code.

European leaders are also weary of the fact that 40% of Turkish people are projected to find jobs elsewhere in Europe should Turkey become a full-member. That’s a lot of cheap labor and a serious threat to wages and social security benefits that wealthy members currently enjoy. Furthermore, Turkey’s size, while good for economic and military strength, stands to dilute the power of countries such as France and Germany. Alternatively, what German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has proposed is a “privileged partnership” rather than full membership. This way there could be benefits for both parties without Europe having to fully take-on the challenges posed by Turkey.

One such challenge and reason for suspension of 8 of 35 chapters of negotiation with Turkey, is the fact that Turkey refuses to open its ports and airports to Greek Cyprus. Since 1974, Turkey has occupied northern Cyprus after invading to counter a military coup instigated by the Greek military junta. However, Turkey is alone in its quest to have formal recognition of its occupation of northern Cyprus. This stance was particularly troublesome for EU negotiators, as one of the requirements for the EU to resume negotiations was that Turkey needed to end its embargo on Cyprus, a current EU member. They haven’t budged on the issue.

So should Turkey join the EU? Turkey has long been faithful to Europe and has resumed their bid even while being told that compliance would not necessarily mean acceptance, even while certain European countries were dismissive from the very beginning. The Turks have surely grown tired of Europe’s games; perhaps they never really stood a chance anyway. But Europe could be missing out. A rejection of Turkey could be interpreted as a rejection of Islam, and this won’t sit well with the many Muslims in and outside Europe. Also, the EU could be letting a huge opportunity slip-away to enhance its security and improve relations with the Middle East, not to mention the chance of forging a relationship that could have lasting human rights benefits for Turkey’s people. Although any immediate EU acceptance of Turkey would be premature, perhaps when it is adjudged ready in a decade or so they will have already made other plans.

Background & Research