Every so often, an opportunity arises that would allow Turkey to address a long-standing issue and take important steps forward, but the window thus opened often slams shut a few weeks later, without much progress having been achieved.Right now, Turkey is consumed by a fierce internal debate on relations between civilians and the military. But the crucial exercise of re-defining these ties could also provide a chance to launch a new reform drive and give new energy to Turkey's EU accession process, which has run out of steam. It is particularly important at this juncture since it provides a crucial blueprint for a more democratic framework.
The prime minister's visit to Brussels, the second this year, suggests that the government is moving in this direction. As EU officials point out, Turkey now has a chief negotiator, a minister, who can bring the accession process to the attention of the Cabinet every time it meets, whereas his predecessor, Ali Babacan, had a host of other foreign policy issues in his portfolio.
With Sweden, a steadfast supporter of Turkey's bid, taking over the EU presidency on July 1, Ankara can use this favorable period to get some serious work done. Time is of the essence. In a few months, the EU will examine how much progress Turkey has made toward fulfilling the terms of the Ankara Protocol. It is clear that Ankara's case would be stronger if it could present a new series of reforms as proof that its EU accession bid is alive and well. There is also still hope that talks on Cyprus will continue to move forward.
The Turkish Season in France, which opens on July 1 and will last until March, is unlikely to sway French public opinion, still largely against Turkey's EU entry. But, with hundreds of events scheduled all over France -- conferences, exhibitions, films, concerts -- the season offers a chance to display aspects of modern Turkish culture that are not very well known. French people still tend to view Turkey either through the Orientalist prism of the Ottoman past or through its Turkish migrant community. The complexities and the dynamism of today's Turkey are still largely undiscovered.
A possible breakthrough is also expected in the Nabucco project. EU sources suggest that the countries involved in the projected construction of the pipeline that will help diversify gas supply to Europe are close to an agreement. State Minister Egemen Bağış suggested an intergovernmental agreement could be signed by mid-July. Once officially in business, the consortium will be able to start negotiating with supplier countries.
While Nabucco is not linked to Turkey's EU membership bid, it offers an important platform for close cooperation between Turkey and the EU on a matter that is not only of great strategic importance for the countries concerned, but also directly affects the lives of ordinary people whose access to heating in winter depended essentially on Russia's goodwill.
Opportunities abroad are inevitably linked to openings on the domestic front. Here, too, there are issues that require action. Only a month ago, a new approach to the Kurdish question seemed in the offing and there was a sense of optimism. Today, it has all but vanished. Where did it go? Most of the governments of the past 15 years have, at one point or another, taken steps toward a solution before retreating as soon as the army reminded them of the red lines. Finding a political solution to the Kurdish issue is at the core of Turkey's democratization process.
Although Turkey is currently busy with the alleged army plan unveiled a couple of weeks ago by Taraf newspaper, the debate it has generated and the way it is handled will, in many ways, determine the future of democracy in this country. What today may look like a source of tension and a possible crisis can also be turned into an opportunity, and one that Turkey cannot afford to miss.
