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EurActiv.com
June 19, 2012 Tuesday 9:38 AM GMT
How Hollande could help Turkey's EU bid
by Can Selçuki and Eldar Mamedov
François Hollande's choice of Laurent Fabius as foreign minister and
Bernard Cazeneuve as European affairs minister suggests that he has
little appetite for further enlargement of the EU, argue Can Selçuki
and Eldar Mamedov.
http://eamobi.com/medias/websites/12/articles/513357
Can Selçuki is a researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies
in Brussels and Eldar Mamedov is a political advisor to the Socialists
and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. This opinion was first
published by Hurriyet Daily News.
"If there is a foreign country with a good reason to celebrate
François Hollande's election as French president, it is Turkey. Former
President Nicolas Sarkozy did not believe that Turkey belonged to
Europe culturally and geographically.
That led France to block five chapters in the EU accession
negotiations, which are relevant to Turkey's EU membership. Would
Hollande bring change in his country's relations with Turkey, both
bilaterally and in the context of the EU enlargement?
At first sight, such a question might seem awkward in light of the
challenges that Hollande already faces with the severe economic
downturn in the eurozone. Hollande's choice of Laurent Fabius as the
minister of foreign affairs and Bernard Cazeneuve as the minister for
European affairs suggests little appetite for further enlargement of
the EU.
It would also be foolish to expect France (and other EU member states)
to drop the condition that Turkey recognise the Republic of Cyprus.
There are also traditional irritants in bilateral relations, such as
the Armenian issue.
There is one area, however, where Hollande can make a crucial
difference. By eschewing the acrimonious debate on religious and
cultural compatibility of Turkey with the EU and focusing instead on
reforms that Turkey needs to join the EU, he can help to restore the
credibility of the EU accession process. And with credibility comes
the leverage: if Turkey perceives that it is treated fairly and has a
realistic chance of joining the EU, it would be easier for the EU to
push for the agenda needed to that end.
Concerns are growing in Turkey and among its European friends about
the lack of progress on reforms and even backslide in some areas, such
as free speech, rule of law and women's rights. The ruling
conservative Justice and Development Party, or AKP, unrestrained by
internal checks and balances, feels increasingly tempted to
consolidate its grip on the institutions at the expense of deepening
democracy.
The revitalisation of the EU negotiations could provide a much needed
external anchor for reform and check what many see as the AKP's
creeping authoritarianism.
This offers a historic opportunity for Turkey's main opposition
People's Republican Party, or CHP, to reposition itself as Turkey's
main pro-European party. Indeed, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu has tried this by
improving CHP's relations with its political family, European social
democracy, which were seriously impaired due to his predecessor's
often nationalistic politics.
The CHP has shown new interest in engaging in debate on the issues of
common interest for European progressive forces, from economic and
social crisis to the future of the Arab Spring.
But more can and needs to be done. By reclaiming the European project,
the CHP would increase the pressure to reform on the incumbent AKP and
give more ammunition to the supporters of Turkey's EU bid in European
capitals. It would enable the CHP to capitalise on its links with the
European social democracy and put it in a better position to convince
the French Socialists to unblock the five chapters in the accession
process vetoed by Sarkozy.
By approaching the EU issue strategically, the CHP should not get
bogged down by disagreements over issues like Cyprus or Armenia, or
occasional praise that the EU officials heap on the ruling AKP. The
election of Hollande as the president of France will not lead to a
fast-track towards the EU membership, but it expands the "breathing
space" for Turkey's pro-European forces.
As the AKP loses interest in further reform, the CHP is well advised
to claim the role of the most pro-European party in Turkey. This will
be right for the CHP and for Turkey's future as a democratic, secular
and modern Republic."
June 19, 2012 Tuesday 9:38 AM GMT
How Hollande could help Turkey's EU bid
by Can Selçuki and Eldar Mamedov
François Hollande's choice of Laurent Fabius as foreign minister and
Bernard Cazeneuve as European affairs minister suggests that he has
little appetite for further enlargement of the EU, argue Can Selçuki
and Eldar Mamedov.
http://eamobi.com/medias/websites/12/articles/513357
Can Selçuki is a researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies
in Brussels and Eldar Mamedov is a political advisor to the Socialists
and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. This opinion was first
published by Hurriyet Daily News.
"If there is a foreign country with a good reason to celebrate
François Hollande's election as French president, it is Turkey. Former
President Nicolas Sarkozy did not believe that Turkey belonged to
Europe culturally and geographically.
That led France to block five chapters in the EU accession
negotiations, which are relevant to Turkey's EU membership. Would
Hollande bring change in his country's relations with Turkey, both
bilaterally and in the context of the EU enlargement?
At first sight, such a question might seem awkward in light of the
challenges that Hollande already faces with the severe economic
downturn in the eurozone. Hollande's choice of Laurent Fabius as the
minister of foreign affairs and Bernard Cazeneuve as the minister for
European affairs suggests little appetite for further enlargement of
the EU.
It would also be foolish to expect France (and other EU member states)
to drop the condition that Turkey recognise the Republic of Cyprus.
There are also traditional irritants in bilateral relations, such as
the Armenian issue.
There is one area, however, where Hollande can make a crucial
difference. By eschewing the acrimonious debate on religious and
cultural compatibility of Turkey with the EU and focusing instead on
reforms that Turkey needs to join the EU, he can help to restore the
credibility of the EU accession process. And with credibility comes
the leverage: if Turkey perceives that it is treated fairly and has a
realistic chance of joining the EU, it would be easier for the EU to
push for the agenda needed to that end.
Concerns are growing in Turkey and among its European friends about
the lack of progress on reforms and even backslide in some areas, such
as free speech, rule of law and women's rights. The ruling
conservative Justice and Development Party, or AKP, unrestrained by
internal checks and balances, feels increasingly tempted to
consolidate its grip on the institutions at the expense of deepening
democracy.
The revitalisation of the EU negotiations could provide a much needed
external anchor for reform and check what many see as the AKP's
creeping authoritarianism.
This offers a historic opportunity for Turkey's main opposition
People's Republican Party, or CHP, to reposition itself as Turkey's
main pro-European party. Indeed, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu has tried this by
improving CHP's relations with its political family, European social
democracy, which were seriously impaired due to his predecessor's
often nationalistic politics.
The CHP has shown new interest in engaging in debate on the issues of
common interest for European progressive forces, from economic and
social crisis to the future of the Arab Spring.
But more can and needs to be done. By reclaiming the European project,
the CHP would increase the pressure to reform on the incumbent AKP and
give more ammunition to the supporters of Turkey's EU bid in European
capitals. It would enable the CHP to capitalise on its links with the
European social democracy and put it in a better position to convince
the French Socialists to unblock the five chapters in the accession
process vetoed by Sarkozy.
By approaching the EU issue strategically, the CHP should not get
bogged down by disagreements over issues like Cyprus or Armenia, or
occasional praise that the EU officials heap on the ruling AKP. The
election of Hollande as the president of France will not lead to a
fast-track towards the EU membership, but it expands the "breathing
space" for Turkey's pro-European forces.
As the AKP loses interest in further reform, the CHP is well advised
to claim the role of the most pro-European party in Turkey. This will
be right for the CHP and for Turkey's future as a democratic, secular
and modern Republic."