After a long period of speculations and intergovernmental tug-of-wars, the EU finally elected its new president and foreign policy chief. Taking the profiles of the recently elected politicians into consideration, it can be confidently said that the EU disappointed may people who believe in an ‘ever closer Union’ and a more ‘proactive Europe’ at the international fora. The new President, the Belgium Prime Minister Herman Von Rompuy, and the new foreign policy chief from the intergovernmentalist Britain, namely Catherine Aston, aroused question marks in the minds of observers. In this regard, one of the most frequently asked questions, for example, is the extent to which Rompuy and Ashton will stand out among the leaders of the other great powers. Given the pair’s relative inexperience and low profile political standing “neither will be able to stand alongside the US, Russian or Chinese leaders as peers and equals”, as the British daily The Guardian writes.
The repercussions of the elections on the Turkish public opinion also developed in the same direction. Since Turkey-EU relations have been in a vicious cycle for about four years and popular support for EU membership has declined down to almost 45 percent, it should not be a surprise to discover that the majority of the Turkish media did not attach too much importance to the elections. Yet, the pundits who are following Turkey-EU relations and European integration closely developed almost the same reactions and interpretations.
The Perspectives from Turkey
Regarding the international stature of the EU, the opinion leaders in Turkey are seriously disappointed. One of the columnists of a highly circulated newspaper in Turkey mentioned that “if the EU aims to become one of the biggest powers in world politics, it is quite sure that the recent appointments are a very wrong take-off point.” The expectation in Turkey was the election of high profile and experienced representatives because many Turks believe that in order to reiterate the ‘golden years’ in Turkey-EU relations, multicultural, pluralist and courageous leaders are needed severely. In this context, many in Turkey believe that the new EU President seems unlikely to “take bold steps towards a more active and inclusive policy both at home and abroad.”
It is not difficult to discover why it is thought in this direction. Herman Von Rompuy became infamous in Turkey with a speech he delivered at the Belgium Parliament in 2004. In that speech he is reported by the media as saying that “Turkey is not a part of Europe and will never be part of Europe. 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 vigour with the entry of a large Islamic country such as Turkey.”
In fact, this speech is obviously contradictory in itself. From the very beginning of its establishment, European integration is said to be based on universal principles, instead of cultural essentialist arguments (at least in the legal texts). The rule of law, human rights, democracy and the principle of objectivity have been the defining parameters of European integration. Identifying the EU with religion and a particular spatio-temporal identity means to reverse the history of Europe from the 21st century to the medieval ages. It is also in obvious contradiction with the founding treaties of the European Community. The ideas of Rompuy, in this context, are interpreted as the textbook definition of anachronism and will exacerbate the problems of 21st century Europe. One scholar, for example, argued that “If Europe refuses Turkey solely on the grounds of religion, culture, etc. it shall move into the next stage by paying a heavy price. The September 11 attacks and Madrid bombings are a hint to this point. It is impossible in such a small world to live by erecting walls. Those who raise high walls only increase the number of bricks that will rain down their heads.”
All in all, Turkish perspectives regarding the elections of the presidency and the foreign affairs posts are not optimistic. The general opinion in Turkey is that the EU missed a historical opportunity. Even so, it seems that the membership aspirations of Turkey are not coming to a halt. As one columnist underlined, the “European journey of Turkey will continue despite the discouraging attitudes of the Merkel-Sarkozy and Rompuy trio” because Turkey thinks that it is about building an EU in the 21st century based on multiculturalism, rule of law and democracy. Indeed Turkey seems to take its part in this new phase of European history as a constructive actor.
Mustafa Kutlay, USAK Center for EU Studies, November 22, 2009
mustafakutlay@gmail.com
