October 3?

No good news coming from Brussels and Strasbourg. The Cyprus issue already was boring, now "Armenian genocide" has been added to it. Christian Democratic MPs at the European Parliament, in a last minute attack on Turkey, said, "Recognize the Armenian genocide." However, their "no" reply to the "privileged partnership" proposal was good news.

Turkey, which has adopted European Union principles as a basic policy, is exerting maximum efforts to approach this negative atmosphere that has emerged in a coolheaded manner. Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan pointed out that the European Parliament does not have the power to impose sanctions and said its decision will not affect Turkey's membership process. Republican People's Party leader Deniz Baykal, who was in London, said, "Turkey has done its homework. Now Europe must keep its promise, nobody can push Turkish people into a state of uncertainty that will last for years. "

While voting in Parliament on the recent decisions, there were two deputies in Strasbourg from Turkey -- former minister Yasar Yakis and Turkish Group chairman of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA), Murat Mercan... It would be useful to draw attention to the fact that the European Parliament is not like the Council of Europe, only member countries can send representatives. Yakis and Mercan were not in the mechanism, they were there only for lobbying purposes.

I talked to Mr. Mercan, but he had not yet overcome the shock of the decisions, "The European parliamentarians' attitude disappointed me,” he said. “I was gripped by genuine worries about the future of the European Union. It was not a very conducive atmosphere, nonetheless, I really never expected anything like this." One can’t help asking, " Wouldn’t it have been better if there had been more deputies from the government and opposition parties in Strasbourg?" Maybe it wouldn’t have been enough to change the result but the loud booming voice of Turkey would have been heard from the lobbying being done.

The Strasbourg decisions are not acceptable to Turkey. It should be emphasized that the Parliament's decisions reflect the inner sensitivities of their public opinions. It must be accepted that anti-Turkey winds have been blowing for long in European capitals. Besides the sanctional aspect, these decisions are controversial as well. The Negotiating Framework Document that will determine the destiny of October 3 has not been clarified yet, it appears as if efforts to reach a consensus will continue until the last minute. Austria has not abandoned its obstinacy regarding privileged partnership...

What will Turkey do in this situation? In fact, Turkey has fullfilled all its liabilities during the last three years with incredible performance. Now it is Europe's turn, it must thoroughly fulfill its responsibilities. The Turks have every right to expect this. Turkey has become introverted, it is discussing October 3 diplomatically and with political will.

Turkey also has a public opinion just as Europe does. The society has its sensitivities and the political will cannot ignore this. Choosing not to go there and not to sit at the negotiation table is something that cannot be ignored. The Framework Document will be the determining factor. It is certain that giving shape to the contents will last until the last minute. Which is right, never to sit at the negotiating table or to give up during the negotiation process? are now being evaluated. Who should abandon the negotiating table, Turkey or Europe?

Turkey should continue its journey towards the West without making any concessions on its basic policy and should not be the party that surrenders, let Europe think about the rest... We accepted the risks while setting out on this journey. That’s why the expression, "a long and difficult road," has been used from the very beginning. The road to Brussels has sharp curves, it is full of obstacles. Besides, we did not expect them to put a red carpet before us and throw roses along our way.

It is not right to compare Turkey with other candidate countries such as Bulgaria and Croatia. Turkey has a huge potential that can change the Union's chemistry. That’s why these obstacles emerge. October 3 is important not only in terms of foreign policy but in terms of domestic political balances as well. Even if the last stop is not Brussels, Turkey's journey towards the West must continue...