CHP’s İlhan Kesici: Don’t judge EU based on Sarkozy, Merkel

He says Turkey's efforts to become part of the West have been ongoing since the 1800s, remarking that the nation has succeeded in this goal economically, but has yet to achieve political integration.

Kesici takes issue with rising anti-European Union sentiment in Turkey, saying his party had been engaged in behind-the-scenes contacts on the issue.

One of the important center-right figures in Turkey, Kesici urged that Turkey's relations with the EU not be viewed as a tool for domestic politics or as currency to win votes. “The way to enter the EU is to fulfill the requirements of Copenhagen and Maastricht,” he said. The CHP politician does not place the blame on Turkey for not yet acceding to the union as other nations have done in less time. “Croatia began its bid in 2003 and in all likelihood will become an EU member in 2010. We've been trying to gain membership since 1950. It needs to be accepted that the EU is treating us differently. We applied for membership when there were only six members in the union. … It's certain that they haven't treated us justly,” he asserted.

Kesici cites cultural differences as the top reason he feels the EU has not yet accepted Turkey. “And by cultural differences, I mean religion. The second difference is a historical one. Despite the fact that 350 years have passed since 1683, Europeans still haven't been able to forget those days. The third point is Turkey's population. We can't digest Turkey, they say. The fourth point is that we're poor. The EU budget isn't enough to develop undeveloped countries,” he said.

CHP İstanbul deputy İlhan Kesici said Turkey's efforts in Westernization have succeeded economically, but the country has yet to achieve political integration. Kesici believes that rising anti-EU sentiments hinder the process but Turkey should not give up on its European dreams.

He named another reason as Turkey's many borders with Iraq, Syria and Iran, but he says opposition rooted in this reason is based on the idea that the EU is a Christian club. “This isn't an approach appropriate to the 21st century. They did the same thing in Bosnia,” he said.

Despite all this, the CHP deputy says Turkey should not give up on its European dreams. “The struggle needs to continue; it can't be given up on. We need to be sure of the fact that Merkel and also Sarkozy are just temporary -- at the end of the day, these leaders will be shifted out. Right now, they're turning this issue of Turkish membership into a tool for domestic politics. Those who have turned such matters into domestic political tools have never become esteemed statesmen; we need to ignore this attitude of theirs. What we need to do is work with our negotiation partners and finish our work -- and we need to do this quickly. We can't just get angry and quit. Are Sarkozy and Merkel pulling out of the negotiations? They're not. And we won't either,” he said.

Turkey must develop regional, global visions

Kesici also shared his views on Turkey's status as a rising power, saying Turkey lacks a global vision and needs to develop one. “There are two important pedestals of a global vision. The first is democracy and market economy; the second is our most basic alliance, the Atlantic alliance; and this has two important veins. One is NATO, and the other is the EU. Israel must also be seen as part of this alliance,” he said. The deputy emphasized that Turkey needs a regional vision as well, noting that a strong global vision cannot compensate for a lack of regional and neighborly relations. “We need to be in harmony with the world, but also in harmony with our region. The dominant religion in our region is Islam. And 99 percent of the world's 150 million Turks identify with this religion. Outside of the Gagauzian Turks, all Turks have chosen to be Muslims. Twenty percent of the 150 million Arabs, though, are Christian. As Westerners have seen, not all Arabs are Muslim. So Turkey needs to be in harmony with Islam and also with the Muslim countries,” he said.

As for the most important components of a regional vision, Kesici says the most important country west of the Caspian for Turkey is Russia, whom he says Turkey must be at peace with and in harmony with. “In the East Caspian, there are the Turkic republics; we have a bond of kinship with them. We need to create a vision regarding all of Eurasia. If you're preparing a Nabucco energy project, then what needs to fill the pipes are Kazakh and Turkmen gas. … We must ensure that they become partners in the project. Perhaps in later stages Iraqi and Iranian gas can be used. And we also can't forget about the Balkans,” he said. In terms of regional problems, he emphasized that the issues of Cyprus and Turkey's relations with Armenia also needed to be resolved.

The first major step, he emphasizes, remains to ascend to the EU. “We need to take up political membership within the union. We need to turn economic cooperation into political cooperation,” he said.