Turkey and the European Union (0)

Tallinn University
TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Tallinn 2013
INTRODUCTION
The accession negotiations and the forthcoming Turkish accession present challenges to both Turkey and the EU. It is widely accepted that Turkey’s accession would be different from previous enlargements because of the combined impact of Turkey’s population, size , geographical location , economic , security and military potential. The case of Turkey will be different and more challenging from previous accessions for a number of reasons , some of them are presented below.
Turkey is a country with a large population and geographic area. With a population of 74 million today, it is projected that it could be the largest member state at the time of accession. As a Moslem secular country, Turkey will also add a new demographic and religious dimension to the EU. Also, the presence of a large number of Turkish immigrants in European countries raises the issue of possible additional migration , as a natural consequence of accession, which may affect the labor market and demography of small member states . The social repercussions of such a development raise sensitivities and pose challenges with political ramifications (Joseph, J.S., 2006).
TURKEY’S LOCATION
The strategic location of Turkey presents a unique challenge to the EU’s external role and policies as “it lies at the epicenter of a series of conflicts, real and potential” in the region . Turkish accession will bring closer to the EU the instability and tensions of a strategically vital region with strong, conflicting energy- related interests. The unstable neighbourhoods of the Middle East , Caucasus and Central Asia will become the immediate neighbourhood of the EU and its member states. As a major power in the region Turkey could be drawn into conflicts that work against European, Central Asian and Middle Eastern integration and peace (Joseph, J.S., 2006). In conjunction with this point, the addition of new long external borders will present a major challenge to the EU as it will involve critical policies and issues such as migration, asylum and drug-smuggling.
TURKEY’S PARTICIPATION IN THE EU INSTIUTIONS
The participation of Turkey in the EU institutions will affect dramatically the allocation of power and influence on decision- making , policy formulation and the dynamics of the broader European political arena . As a large member state, Turkey will have a powerful voice in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers where decisions are mostly made by qualified majority. This shift of power from the Western Christian capitals to the eastern Islamic frontier is already causing skepticism and reactions in some countries (Joseph, J.S., 2006).
TURKEY AND CYPRUS
Turkey has unresolved issues and unstable relations or no relations at all with some EU member states. Greece and Cyprus are cases in point. In recent years , Greek -Turkish relations have improved considerably and Greece’s policy towards Turkish accession is a positive one, but this depends on the political barometer over the Aegean and Cyprus. The fact that Turkey does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus – a full member of the EU since May 2004 – has been a source of legal controversies and political complications. (Joseph, J.S., 2006) In that regard, there is still an open question that how can a candidate country conduct accession negotiations and sign an international treaty with a country it does not recognize. That is a big problem and question that Turkey has to deal with.
TURKEY WAITING ON THE DOORSTEPS OF EUROPE
While some oppose Turkey’s full membership on cultural -religious grounds , others view Turkey as a „ poor and populous country, waiting on the doorsteps of Europe, trying to push in“. It is a fact. One of the most important reasons for Turkey’s desire for membership is economic. Turkey wants to enter the EU in order to become wealthier, more developed and more stable. Turkey is not alone in that sense . All members came into this Union with the same motives. Britain , France, Germany , Spain, Czech Republic, Malta... Regardless of how big and powerful, prosperity and stability are the most important reasons. There is nothing strange in Turkey’s aspiration for membership. However, Turkey offers a remarkable difference than other members. Turkey has certain qualities that no other member has. It does have material expectations from the EU, on the other hand , it has so much to offer to European civilization that other members cannot offer. Turkey is not only a „demanding“ party vis-à-vis the EU. It also wants to contribute. It has the features that can ease Europe, on the verge of yet another edge, to leap to the next stage. In this respect, Turkey has a request from the EU not just for itself but also for the future of Europe and the whole world. In a sense, Turkey says „if you want an easier shift, we have to stick together“. (Laciner, S., Özcan, M. & Ihsan, B., 2005) This statement might sound too naive and idealistic. But when looking at Turkish history, at their weakest and strongest times, Turkeys have turned towards Europe, wanting to be a part of it. Even after the Crusades , Turks’ motion towards Europe was not bent on destruction, but aimed at unification and contribution . In a process that lasted for centuries , Turkey has a peculiar experience between East and West . In a sense, it can be said that Turkey is a laboratory. This peculiar experience, combining the peoples of the East and West, their religions and civilizations on the lands of Anatolia harbor a very special secret, a very special prescription. (Laciner, S., et al., 2005)
TURKEY, ISLAM AND MUSLIMS
The poor integration of some groups of Muslims in the EU member states, the growing assertiveness of second-generation Muslims, and the worldwide rise of fundamentalism and Islamic terrorism, have placed “Islam” and “Muslims” in an increasingly controversial position . In 1999, when the European Council, in the wake of the historic decision on the EU’s eastward expansion, also decided to grant Turkey candidate-membership status , “9/11” had yet to happen . The attacks dramatically changed the social and political climate and awoke dormant feelings of deep unease. Subsequently, much of the discourse on relations between Western and Muslim states was cast in the mould of the “clash of civilisations”, to use the phrase coined by Samuel Huntington. Ethnic violence became more quickly associated with Islam and visible communities of religious Muslims more quickly labeled as dangerous fundamentalists (Zürcher, E.J., Linden , H., 2004).
It is not only in the member states, but also in Turkey itself, that public and political manifestations of Islam raise controversy . Evidence for this can be found in the countless “headscarf incidents” in Turkey, as well as in the periodic interventions by the Turkish army against democratically elected leaders with overt religious affiliations. Many supporters of Turkish nationalist and secular parties fear that it is precisely the religious fundamentalists who would be given free rein should the military, as a result of EU pressure , be forced to withdraw completely from politics. They are wary of demands by the European Parliament that Turkey should adopt a “more relaxed position” towards Islam in particular and religion in general. Other groups, too, such as emancipated young woman, atheists and gays, distrust the current government of the moderately religious AK Party, and expect that, at any moment, it will show its “true anti-secularist” colours (Zürcher, E.J., Linden, H., 2004).
Examples from Dutch, European and Turkish contexts reveal a huge gulf between the broad public debate on “Islam” and Muslim fundamentalism, on the one hand, and the discussion among European experts and academics on the authoritarian-secular character of the Turkish state, on the other. The former usually gets mired in platitudes about Islam, Muslims, violence and fundamentalism, that do scant justice to the characteristics of Turkish Islam, culture and society. The second debate brings together two different perspectives: one stressing the partiality of the guarantees that Turkey offers for the protection of individuals and (religious) minority groups; the other emphasizing the opportunity afforded for the EU, via Turkish membership, to build a bridge to the Islamic world. Both debates from parts of wider and more complex issue, namely Turkey’s search for a new balance between religion, state and society in a rapidly changing environment. (Zürcher, E.J., Linden, H., 2004). Which opportunities and threats Turkey will meet en route, are directly relevant to the question whether Islamic Turkey is compatible with membership of the EU. Indirectly, the question is also relevant for Europe’s relationship with the Islamic world.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, Turkey has been waiting on the European Union’s doorsteps for a very long time, but they still have to deal with many important points and questions to become a member of the EU. Furthermore , structural, political and economic developments in the EU during the next decade may affect the deepening and widening of the EU in a way that can have an impact on further enlargement, including the accession of Turkey.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Joseph, J.S., (2006) Turkey and the European Union, Palgrave Macmillan
  
• Laciner, S., Özcan, M. & Ihsan, B., (2005) European Union with Turkey, Ankara : An ISRO Publication
  
• Zürcher, E.J., Linden, H., (2004) The European Union, Turkey and Islam, Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press