Bush Throws Support Behind Turkey’s EU Bid
President Bush, speaking yesterday:
I strongly believe that Europe will benefit when Turkey is a member of the European Union. I view Turkey as a bridge between Europe and the Islamic world, a constructive bridge.
And so I believe it’s in the interests of peace that Turkey be admitted into the EU…. I think Turkey sets a fantastic example for nations around the world to see where it’s possible to have a democracy coexist with a great religion like Islam and that’s important. (Al Jazeera)
I couldn’t agree more — this time, Bush has hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, things have been stagnant between the EU and Ankara for a number of months, and accession is looking increasingly distant. The much-criticized Article 301 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes insults against “Turkishness,” has recently gone to the Turkish parliament to be amended but analysts say that the changes are “half-hearted” and just-for-show. Gareth Jenkins, over at Eurasia Monitor, reports that the new-and-improved Article 301 would merely replace the ban on insulting “Turkishness” with a ban on insulting the “Turkish nation”; additionally, the maximum prison sentence for such a crime is only being cut from three to two years. Not much to crow about, I’d say.
The Turkish government is dragging its feet on Cyprus as well. They’ve been unwilling to pull out troops, and have failed to agree to key trade concessions. In many ways, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Erdogan’s government is being constrained not only by a virulent nationalist opposition, but also by an increasingly EU-wary populace — recent polls have indicated that public support for EU accession is only around 50% (in late 2004, it was 75-80%).
My guess is that rising European hostility towards Turkish accession has played a major role in the country’s diminishing enthusiasm for the whole process. The inhospitable attitude of the French (and, to a lesser extent, the Austrians, the Germans, and the Greeks) has sent an unmistakable message to the Turks that they’re not wanted in the club, and that perhaps they shouldn’t even try. Nicolas Sarkozy has actually made his belief quite explicit, on a number of occasions, that Turkey is part of Asia Minor, and not Europe. (That said, France is still happy to string Ankara along. In particular, they’ve been very vague about whether or not they’ll halt the accession talks when they take over the EU presidency in mid-2008.)
On this one, though, Bush is right and the French are not — enabling the Turks to join the EU would have some important reverberations. Both the Europeans and the Turks need to do a better job facilitating this process.
5 Responses to “Bush Throws Support Behind Turkey’s EU Bid”
Amazing. I agree with George Bush. It makes sense on a couple levels to include Turkey in the EU. For one thing, they'd be in all sorts of trouble if they started meddling in Iraq which is good for us. The less unwanted interference we have there, the better. Plus, inviting Turkey to join is symbolic of an overall acceptance of Islam and the majority of Middle Eastern culture. It would provide the rest of the world with a positive way to influence developing relationships and diplomacy between the western world and the Middle East.
Jeb, Amanda, I used to think this was a great idea, but I now have some serious reservations about whether it's a healthy move for the wealthy EU member states. Sure, it looks good on paper, but y'all don't have to deal with the practical immigration and cultural issues of bringing Turkey (all of it) into the EU. With Euros increasingly skittish about their current assimilation and cultural identity issues, the prospect of joining hands with Turkey is a daunting one.
Bush's move might not be anything more than trying to score easy bonus points with Ankara following the Armenian genocide dust-up.
What's in it for the French or the Germans?
Right now Europe is Franco-German Dominion, they have the largest economies, the largest militaries and the largest population, if Turkey joins the EU it will be the second most populous country in the EU and the second largest Military in the EU, Turkey will get lots of influence at the expense of the French & German.
I don't bring up the Brits since they can't make up their minds as to whether or not they want to be part of Europe or American Poodles, or the Italians as they are not performing at the level they should be considering their population & the size of their economy.
Not to mention having Iraq, Syria and Iran as border states…
Most American see Turkey as a moderate country – simply by observing a few of the larger cities and the way they dress. Truth is underneath all this more like a Middle Eastern country than anything found in the EU – by asking the EU to take on Turkey, for (US) political or military gain, today, when such a decision could affect Europe for 100s of years, is foolhardy. And it would be the Europeans and not the Americans who would have to deal with this.
No doubt if the former Ottoman Empire which is now Turkey joins Europe, it will be a special case. And that also means a special case for Islam in Europe. There are already efforts in Europe to limit the amount of immigrants from the Islamic world, and for Germans, of particular interest are the Turks.
Personally, I spent months travelling around Turkey, so I have first hand experience with the Turkish mindset.
What it must look like to Europe, is that you have a country with a population of 80 million and growing, with two thirds who are rural farmers, so that the current subsidy system would have to be extended to include all of these people. You have the Cyprus issue, the blatant denial of the Armenian holocaust; you have the even stranger Insulting Turkishness clause on the book, and pressure to Islamize that country and to introduce such laws which would criminalize adultery.
PM Erdogan has already stated and to quote “We are Sahria-ists” We will turn Istanbul into Medina” I am the Imam of Istanbul” and “Our only goal is an Islamic State”.
And undoubtedly, if he plans to Islamize secular Turkey, then by extension, in joining the EU, he will try to Islamize Europe.
Islam is not just Islam, Islam comes with its own baggage, there are a host of restrictions, for girls learning in school for example, Muslims in Europe want to try to influence, what they can teach the girls – many rejecting biology, who can teach them – men are not allowed, what they can wear in school – ranging for the head scarf to the full face covering, and access to school and ex-curricular activities – many girls are not allowed to leave the house unaccompanied – scratching out school trips. This is what the Germans have to deal with, with its large Turkish community, and this is what France was dealing with, until they said enough is enough, our schools are secular. And I did not mention honor killings and the attitudes that are behind that.
If Turkey becomes a member of the EU, what is to stop it from continuing its process of Islamizing Turkey? For instance the only reason, it did not go through with its adultery law, is because of EU pressure to abandon it. And because Turkey wishes to become a part of Europe it obliged. But what about after it gets what it wants, how will the EU control a Turkey that has already had its own Empire and is clearly on an Islamization path?
Turkey is a country that is growing and finding itself, and possibly it needs its own space. As Turkey used to be great, and clearly wishes to be again (see political agenda of Turkish National Party 3rd place in the elections), perhaps Turkey with all its nationalist and Islamic baggage, needs to get itself out of this one.