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Sweet and sour climax to Turkey's long march
- Austria backs down but leaves bad taste for talks
- Deal reached after day of diplomatic brinkmanship
Nicholas Watt in Luxembourg and Helena Smith in Istanbul
Tuesday October 4, 2005
The Guardian
European leaders last night hailed the start of historic EU membership talks
with Turkey, though Ankara's allies warned of a sour atmosphere after a
failed attempt by Austria to downgrade the negotiations.
Javier Solana, the EU's putative foreign minister, declared that Europe and
the world would benefit from binding a country of 70 million Muslims into
the union. "It is a good day," Mr Solana said. "I have no doubt that [the
negotiations] will be beneficial for everyone. Everyone is a winner. Turkey
is in a strategic region and in our neighbourhood."
His remarks were echoed by Olli Rehn, Europe's enlargement commissioner, who
played a crucial role in the talks. Mr Rehn, who told Austria in blunt terms
that it could not downgrade Turkey's membership negotiations, said: "Europe
will get a stable and prosperous Turkey."
After a marathon two-day negotiating session, there was relief among
Turkey's supporters that Britain had managed to clinch a deal. But there was
strong criticism of Austria, which nearly threatened Turkey's 40-year EU
dream by calling - unsuccessfully - for the EU to spell out "alternatives"
to full membership.
Richard Howitt, Labour's foreign affairs spokesman in the European
parliament, who sits on a joint committee with the Turkish parliament, said:
"I am delighted that Austria has been beaten into submission ... But I
greatly sympathise with Turkish friends who, having met the conditions set
last December, watch as Austria reneged and convened eleventh-hour
negotiations that were never justified."
Angered by Austria's hard stance, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime
minister, took his time to agree to the EU invitation. He presided over a
lengthy meeting of the ruling AK party before sending Abdullah Gul, his
foreign minister, to Luxembourg for a signing ceremony in the early hours.
"I am happy to say that common sense prevailed," Mr Erdogan said yesterday,
but there had been some "dishonest" and "ugly" moments. "A common decision
was taken in favour of the alliance of civilisations. Turkey has taken
another giant step that is in line with its historic walk," he said. "This
is Turkey's success: it is everyone's success."
At least 30 senior cadres from Mr Erdogan's neo-Islamist Justice and
Development party were said to be have attended the meeting as he attempted
to achieve as much domestic consensus as possible. Mr Erdogan has staked his
political career on Turkey joining the EU.
Turkey and the EU finally launched the membership talks after gruelling
negotiations which were called after Austria vetoed the proposed ground
rules last week. At the start of the day officials from Britain, which is
Turkey's greatest champions in the EU and which chaired the talks as EU
president, were gloomy.
With scores of Armenians demonstrating against Turkey outside the conference
centre, Ursula Plassnik, Austria's foreign minister, stuck to her demand
that the EU should drop its commitment to a "shared objective" that the
talks would lead to full membership. She also wanted an explicit reference
from the outset to a "alternatives" to full EU membership. This would have
turned the talks on their head, because EU leaders agreed last year that
this would be offered at the end if the talks failed. Vienna also wanted a
stronger reference to the EU's "absorption capacity" - the declaration that
the European commission will have to make at the end of the talks about
whether it can fit Turkey in.
"Austria was asking us to rewrite last December's agreement, signed by all
EU leaders, and that was out of the question," one EU diplomat said.
As the morning wore on, a deal started to take shape. A number of EU
countries said they could offer Austria tougher language on "absorption
capacity" on the grounds that the commission makes a ruling on this for
every country that wants to join the European Union.
As Vienna worked out its tactics, another factor came into play. As one of
the most fervent supporters of Croatia, Austria was privately trying to
arrange a deal whereby it would say yes to Turkey if Zagreb was given a
starting date for membership talks. Britain, which chaired yesterday's talks
in its role as EU president, insisted that no such deal would be done.
Then Carla del Ponte, the chief prosecutor of the international war crimes
tribunal, entered the fray. She gave private briefings to the Austrians on
her trip to Croatia last week, which led her to conclude that the former
Yugoslav republic was offering her full cooperation in trying to track down
the indicted Croatian war criminal General Ante Gotovina.
With Croatia now on track to start its EU talks, Austria told Britain that
it would agree a deal. But Turkey raised objections when Britain presented
it with the agreed EU ground rules. The main bone of contention lay in
paragraph five of the draft text which required Turkey to abide by "common"
EU policies.
Turkey said this would force it to allow divided Cyprus, which it does not
recognise, to join Nato. This was denied by Britain and by the US secretary
of state, Condoleezza Rice, who telephoned Mr Erdogan to appease him.
Turkey will face 10 to 15 years of grinding negotiations which may well end
in failure. "The talks are really tough - it's like having someone going
through your knicker drawer," one EU diplomat said.
Turkish voices
Ayhan Demetgul, 45. Tourism official, Istanbul
"Europe is getting older and Turkey can provide it with necessary manpower
... Those countries that oppose Turkey's membership don't have any vision"
Serap Yildirim, 20. Student, Istanbul
"There does seem to be a misunderstanding, it's not us who will benefit as
much from the EU, as Europe will from Turkey. Our country is very big and
will automatically become a giant bazaar for European companies and exports"
Havva Can, 55. Housewife, Cerkezkoy, Thrace
"I don't follow politics too closely but it will be much better for Turks if
we don't join ... European culture is too open and not good for our society
... I don't want to remove my headscarf. If we join they'll make me get rid
of it"
Huseyin Unlu, 55. Retired labourer, Izmir
"If Europe lets us in as we are now then I support joining it. Too many
conditions have been placed on us; next they'll be demanding I shave my
moustache"
Helena Smith
http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,1584305,00.html
- Austria backs down but leaves bad taste for talks
- Deal reached after day of diplomatic brinkmanship
Nicholas Watt in Luxembourg and Helena Smith in Istanbul
Tuesday October 4, 2005
The Guardian
European leaders last night hailed the start of historic EU membership talks
with Turkey, though Ankara's allies warned of a sour atmosphere after a
failed attempt by Austria to downgrade the negotiations.
Javier Solana, the EU's putative foreign minister, declared that Europe and
the world would benefit from binding a country of 70 million Muslims into
the union. "It is a good day," Mr Solana said. "I have no doubt that [the
negotiations] will be beneficial for everyone. Everyone is a winner. Turkey
is in a strategic region and in our neighbourhood."
His remarks were echoed by Olli Rehn, Europe's enlargement commissioner, who
played a crucial role in the talks. Mr Rehn, who told Austria in blunt terms
that it could not downgrade Turkey's membership negotiations, said: "Europe
will get a stable and prosperous Turkey."
After a marathon two-day negotiating session, there was relief among
Turkey's supporters that Britain had managed to clinch a deal. But there was
strong criticism of Austria, which nearly threatened Turkey's 40-year EU
dream by calling - unsuccessfully - for the EU to spell out "alternatives"
to full membership.
Richard Howitt, Labour's foreign affairs spokesman in the European
parliament, who sits on a joint committee with the Turkish parliament, said:
"I am delighted that Austria has been beaten into submission ... But I
greatly sympathise with Turkish friends who, having met the conditions set
last December, watch as Austria reneged and convened eleventh-hour
negotiations that were never justified."
Angered by Austria's hard stance, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime
minister, took his time to agree to the EU invitation. He presided over a
lengthy meeting of the ruling AK party before sending Abdullah Gul, his
foreign minister, to Luxembourg for a signing ceremony in the early hours.
"I am happy to say that common sense prevailed," Mr Erdogan said yesterday,
but there had been some "dishonest" and "ugly" moments. "A common decision
was taken in favour of the alliance of civilisations. Turkey has taken
another giant step that is in line with its historic walk," he said. "This
is Turkey's success: it is everyone's success."
At least 30 senior cadres from Mr Erdogan's neo-Islamist Justice and
Development party were said to be have attended the meeting as he attempted
to achieve as much domestic consensus as possible. Mr Erdogan has staked his
political career on Turkey joining the EU.
Turkey and the EU finally launched the membership talks after gruelling
negotiations which were called after Austria vetoed the proposed ground
rules last week. At the start of the day officials from Britain, which is
Turkey's greatest champions in the EU and which chaired the talks as EU
president, were gloomy.
With scores of Armenians demonstrating against Turkey outside the conference
centre, Ursula Plassnik, Austria's foreign minister, stuck to her demand
that the EU should drop its commitment to a "shared objective" that the
talks would lead to full membership. She also wanted an explicit reference
from the outset to a "alternatives" to full EU membership. This would have
turned the talks on their head, because EU leaders agreed last year that
this would be offered at the end if the talks failed. Vienna also wanted a
stronger reference to the EU's "absorption capacity" - the declaration that
the European commission will have to make at the end of the talks about
whether it can fit Turkey in.
"Austria was asking us to rewrite last December's agreement, signed by all
EU leaders, and that was out of the question," one EU diplomat said.
As the morning wore on, a deal started to take shape. A number of EU
countries said they could offer Austria tougher language on "absorption
capacity" on the grounds that the commission makes a ruling on this for
every country that wants to join the European Union.
As Vienna worked out its tactics, another factor came into play. As one of
the most fervent supporters of Croatia, Austria was privately trying to
arrange a deal whereby it would say yes to Turkey if Zagreb was given a
starting date for membership talks. Britain, which chaired yesterday's talks
in its role as EU president, insisted that no such deal would be done.
Then Carla del Ponte, the chief prosecutor of the international war crimes
tribunal, entered the fray. She gave private briefings to the Austrians on
her trip to Croatia last week, which led her to conclude that the former
Yugoslav republic was offering her full cooperation in trying to track down
the indicted Croatian war criminal General Ante Gotovina.
With Croatia now on track to start its EU talks, Austria told Britain that
it would agree a deal. But Turkey raised objections when Britain presented
it with the agreed EU ground rules. The main bone of contention lay in
paragraph five of the draft text which required Turkey to abide by "common"
EU policies.
Turkey said this would force it to allow divided Cyprus, which it does not
recognise, to join Nato. This was denied by Britain and by the US secretary
of state, Condoleezza Rice, who telephoned Mr Erdogan to appease him.
Turkey will face 10 to 15 years of grinding negotiations which may well end
in failure. "The talks are really tough - it's like having someone going
through your knicker drawer," one EU diplomat said.
Turkish voices
Ayhan Demetgul, 45. Tourism official, Istanbul
"Europe is getting older and Turkey can provide it with necessary manpower
... Those countries that oppose Turkey's membership don't have any vision"
Serap Yildirim, 20. Student, Istanbul
"There does seem to be a misunderstanding, it's not us who will benefit as
much from the EU, as Europe will from Turkey. Our country is very big and
will automatically become a giant bazaar for European companies and exports"
Havva Can, 55. Housewife, Cerkezkoy, Thrace
"I don't follow politics too closely but it will be much better for Turks if
we don't join ... European culture is too open and not good for our society
... I don't want to remove my headscarf. If we join they'll make me get rid
of it"
Huseyin Unlu, 55. Retired labourer, Izmir
"If Europe lets us in as we are now then I support joining it. Too many
conditions have been placed on us; next they'll be demanding I shave my
moustache"
Helena Smith
http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,1584305,00.html