A general right-leaning political picture has been added to the difficulties experienced due to the negative stances of political leaders, especially in Germany and France. While the right and extreme right, which used their opposition to Turkey as an important tool in their election campaigns, have gained more strength, the left bloc, which traditionally supports Turkey, has suffered a major defeat.Although liberals with warm sentiments toward Ankara have protected their seats and the Greens have become slightly stronger, the new political atmosphere in Europe is not very hopeful.
So what does this mean in terms of Turkey-EU relations? Does it mean we need to slowly start giving up on our desire to join the EU, or do we need to proceed forward with a new strategy? What must Turkey do in the wake of this changing atmosphere in Europe?
As invited guests of the EU's Ankara Representative Office, myself and a group of journalists are in Brussels seeking answers to these questions. We speak about the same issue with many names, including EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, EP Liberal Democrat Group Chairman Graham Watson, Turkey EU Ambassador in Brussels Volkan Bozkır and recently elected Dutch deputy Emine Bozkurt, who is of Turkish origin.
Although everyone is aware of the negative developments, they believe the outcome of the process depends mainly on Turkey. If Turkey doesn't get caught up in the negative signals and concentrates on reforms with the aim of providing European standards to its citizens, then there is no need for much concern.
One notes that 85 percent of the 27 countries in the EU support Turkey and that the leaders who are against Turkey's membership will not be in the same posts when the critical day arrives. It is said that depending on the progress Turkey makes, the general opinion in Europe may change. In short, whatever the composition of the EP, the future of the process is largely dependent on our own performance. Already isn't it more important to undertake the necessary reforms with or without the EU perspective? Don't we want a true democracy, a cleaner environment and fairer judiciary and a military bound by the rule of law even if we do not become an EU member in the end?
Actually, there seems to be a consensus between Ankara and Brussels on concentrating on reforms until the end of 2009. Indeed, there is not much difference between Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's warning about serious troubles if reforms are not accelerated and what Rehn said. If no settlement can be reached in Cyprus, this can be overcome only through reforms. Turkey's friends in Europe will have a stronger position if Turkey undertakes reforms. Everyone who knows about the sensitivity of the issue is talking about the necessity for Turkey to show a performance similar to the one it showed between 2002 and 2005.
Even Turkey's friend Watson is complaining about a slowdown in reforms after the start of the negotiations. Even if Rehn considers the opening of 10 chapters despite tensions in Turkey and a tense atmosphere between Ankara and Brussels a good result, he cannot understand why the bill on trade unions, which has been debated for the last three years, still has not been passed. Moreover, he asks why the legal amendments proposed by the Venice Commission concerning political parties still have not been implemented. They cannot make sense of inaction while there are rumors about a second closure case. They are perplexed to see that the government is slow in tackling the establishment of an ombudsman's office as an umbrella organization for human rights institutions, the ratification of an international convention on torture, the liberalization of the Constitution, which was drafted after a military coup, and the amendment of a number of laws, including the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and a press law concerning freedom of thought.
Of course, the membership of Turkey, which is perceived by Germany and France as a rival, will not be as easy as that of Croatia or Slovenia. This should be accepted in advance in order not to be discouraged, and the moves made against Turkey's membership should be viewed from this perspective. We should not forget that, as Ambassador Bozkır put it, Turkey will make this progress on its own. What I understand from Rehn's statement is that if Turkey speeds up the reforms, European countries will not risk freezing negotiations with Turkey because of the Cyprus issue. Therefore, we must stop dragging our feet concerning this vital matter of reforms.
