EU Creates More Troubles for Turkey, Is it Worth It?

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is saying that Turkey has slowed down its EU reforms, and he is worried that this could result in a breakdown of the accession process. Maybe there is a reason for this that the EU does not want to awknowledge.

In this insightful article, Michael Radu argues that many of the EU's demands are irrational and would have a negative effect on Turkey. He first talks about the Cyprus issue, noting that Greek Cyprus was allowed to enter the EU without the Turkish North Cyprus, even after the Greeks rejected a unification plan which the Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly approved. Prime Minister Erdogan had pushed for Turkish Cypriot approval of the plan, and in doing so risked much of his political capital in a losing effort. Besides the embarrasment factor, the EU membership for Greek Cyprus means they will have even more bargaining power for future negotiations and will have virtually no reason to compromise. After all this, the EU has continued to punish Northern Cyprus through isolation while demanding Turkey open ports to Greek Cypriot ships.

Radu then goes on to talk about another European contradiction, the Kurdish situation. He points out that while the Turkish government has provided Kurds with the right to use their own language and have their own media, the EU is not satisfied. Given the recent backlash in Europe against multiculturalism and the similarity between the Kurdish case and minority struggles in Spain and Belgium, the EU is being quite hypocritical.

Radu also talks about the EU's call for the elimination of the military's role in politics. He says they are contradicting themselves on this issue as well, given the EU fears of Islamicism. Islamicism has been on the rise in Turkey in the past 5 or so years, and the military have the traditional role of protecting secularism. Many Turks embrace the military as the protector of secularism, and to take it away from this role would alienate seculars from the EU, as well as give Islamists a chance to legislate Turkey back into the stone age.

I would like to see Turkey in the EU, but at what price? What is to say that the EU knows what is good for Turkey? The EU has its own goals and is working towards them in these negotiations. Turkey needs a leader who can stand up to the EU an point out that these negotiations should be a two-way street, not just a chance for the EU to demand any concessions it wants. I strongly encourage you to read Radu's article. It is very interesting, and I'm sure my summary does not do it justice. It is linked above, but I'll provide another link here anyway.