During the visit, Baykal stressed that the CHP had always and would always be a strong supporter of Turkey's European Union integration. He claimed that it was actually the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) that was opposed to carrying out EU related reforms. I remember Baykal stressing that the CHP was pushing the AK Party at every opportunity to move ahead on issues related to the EU and called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to stop making excuses and put greater efforts into the flagging relationship. During the visit, Baykal also opened a CHP Brussels branch to help improve the image of the party in the EU, which some CHP representatives claim had been defamed by the AK Party and its friends. At the time, his statements raised eyebrows because the CHP is not viewed as a party that is 100 percent behind Turkey's EU accession. Of course, this was not always the case. The CHP used to be far more excited by the prospect and was a key player in pushing through some difficult reforms in the early days. Things started to go downhill once it became apparent what the process actually involved and that the cozy power structures that parties such as the CHP enjoyed were going to be turned upside down with the EU poking its nose into every nook and cranny.So six months since Baykal's visit, has the man kept his word? Has he been knocking on the prime minister's door asking why he is not cranking up the pace of reforms? Has the CHP communicated to the nation why the EU process is so important? Have they pushed to get EU legislation quickly and positively voted on in Parliament? Absolutely not, and to this end, the image of the party in the EU remains that of a party whose main goal is not to pursue policies that would advance democracy, human rights or the rule of law but rather they are seen as living in a time warp, undermining the AK Party at every opportunity and grappling to hold on to any last straw of power they can. As for the CHP Brussels office, Baykal's brainwave of employing a "youngster" to run the office in the hope of creating the image of a forward-looking, modern party has not fooled anybody. We all know the CHP is run by dinosaurs! For the most part, the office seems to spend its time communicating the evils that the AK Party is up to rather than Baykal's EU efforts. I am actually surprised the representative has not already resigned, such is the difficulty of the job.
The CHP has proven to be a "cherry picker." As a party supposedly dedicated to integration with the West, it does not want to be seen as the enemy of the EU, which is why they do support some legislation, including supporting the enlargement of the government's Directorate for EU Affairs. However, when it comes to the "big" issues on which the EU wants action, such as civil-military relations, the Kurdish issue and the opening of Halki Seminary, they continue to kick up a stink. It is sad, but it seems that the CHP (as well as others) are opposed to the democratic development of Turkey and clearly don't understand the meaning of the world equality. It is unbelievable that they oppose the government's initiatives on the Kurdish issue. This gives the impression that they are not interested in a solution, that they are happy to see the continued loss of life and that they wish to have the problem continue for another decade or more.
When it comes to EU membership, the cherry-picking theory does not work; it has to be all or nothing. Turkey badly needs increased consensus among political parties on the EU issue otherwise it is going to be an increasingly hard uphill battle. I would like to hear from Baykal and others what the alternative path for Turkey is if not the EU one. Where does he see Turkey in 10 years? Does he actually have an answer? Turkey needs a strong, progressive and democratic opposition. It is time for these visionless dinosaurs to realize that the Jurassic period is over. They should step down and make way for the younger generation.
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