Van Rompuy is not from ‘Sarkozy camp,’ Turkish-origin deputies say

EU leaders on Thursday named Van Rompuy, who is little known outside his own country, as the bloc’s first president to lead efforts to make it more influential on the world stage. They also chose Baroness Catherine Ashton, a Briton little known even in her own country, as EU foreign affairs chief under a deal that kept out more established figures such as Tony Blair and raised questions about how the bloc plans to raise its profile.

Just ahead of his appointment, records of a speech by Van Rompuy during a meeting of the Council of Europe on the subject of Turkey ‘s possible entry into the EU, held in the Belgian parliament in December 2004, have clearly revealed his strong opposition to Turkey ever joining the EU.

“Turkey is not a part of Europe and will never be part of Europe,” Van Rompuy said at the time, suggesting that Europe’s Christian “fundamental values” would be undermined by admitting Turkey into the union. “An expansion of the EU to include Turkey cannot be considered as just another expansion as in the past.

The universal values which are in force in Europe, and which are also fundamental values of Christianity, will lose vigor with the entry of a large Islamic country such as Turkey,” the then-opposition politician said.

An EU summit decision in December 2004 had given the go-ahead for opening membership negotiations with Turkey in October 2005.

Nonetheless, both Hilal Yalçın, Belgium’s first Christian Democrat deputy of Turkish descent, and Veli Yüksel, the first ever deputy of Turkish descent in the Flemish region, have warned that it would be unfair to label Van Rompuy with a speech delivered when he was in the opposition.

Yalçın and Yüksel also ruled out comments that Van Rompuy’s 2004 speech puts him squarely on the side of Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, and Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, both of whom are willing to offer Turkey a “privileged partnership” but want to keep the country out of the EU.

Admitting that the tone of the 2004 speech by Van Rompuy was “harsh,” Yalçın, however, told Today’s Zaman that the speech targeted the then-government, but was not particularly aimed at harming Turkey’s EU bid.

“After all, Van Rompuy has not made any other anti-Turkish statements. It also means Rompuy would not be with either Merkel or Sarkozy,” Yalçın said. “As he knew I was of Turkish origin, we occasionally had the chance to discuss Turkey-related issues. I know he follows developments in Turkey closely. I have never witnessed any callous stance towards Turkey from him,” she added, calling the new EU president a “very open-minded person having a wide vision and approaching issues from a philosophical angle.”

Yalçın, meanwhile, highlighted that the Belgian Christian Democrats are not against Turkey’s EU membership.

For his part, Yüksel said it would be unfair to treat Van Rompuy as if he was “a Sarkozy-minded” politician.

“A five-year period of time is not short in terms of politics. Van Rompuy may have changed by this time. In addition, Van Rompuy said he would pursue European Council decisions on Turkey during his statement following his election. I do not think Van Rompuy will harm the EU’s relations with Turkey,” Yüksel said.

Soon after his appointment, speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday, Van Rompuy was asked questions on his stance concerning Turkey’s EU bid. He responded that from now on, as the EU president, his personal opinions did not matter as he would harmonize his views with the EU’s decisions.

“What I think is not important at all. My duty as president is producing reconcilement among EU countries,” Van Rompuy added.