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TURKEY'S GAMBLE: CRACKDOWN THREATENS EU ACCESSION TALKS
By Carsten Volkery and Severin Weiland
AFP Volleys of tear gas are fired on Istanbul's Taksim Square on
June 11.
The crackdown against protesters in Istanbul by the Turkish government
creates a dilemma for the EU. The Europeans don't want to tolerate
violence against demonstrators, but they also don't want to lose
Erdogan as a partner.
Once again, images of violence in Istanbul have been broadcast to
living rooms across Europe. They showed Turkish police advancing
on Taksim Square during the night with bulldozers and water
cannons. For hours, officers in riot gear engaged in street fighting
with protesters. On Wednesday morning, the remnants of those clashes
could be seen on the cleared square.
The drastic measures taken by the government of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan have created a dilemma for Turkey's partners in the
European Union. Since the escalation of the civil protests at Gezi
Park at the end of May, the Europeans have been helplessly observing
as events unfold. Besides an appeal or warning here and there, so
far there has been no substantial reaction from Brussels, Berlin,
Paris or London.
They are worried that the violent excesses in Turkey could destroy
progress made in recent months. After years of stalling, diplomats
had worked painstakingly to get talks over Turkey's future European
Union accession back on track. On June 26, EU foreign ministers had
hoped to open a new chapter in accession talks with Turkey for the
first time in three years. It would be the 19th of 35 chapters that
must be completed before Ankara can join the European club.
Prospects for Talks Dim
The massive police deployment is being monitored very closely in EU
capitals, including Berlin. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
described the images from Istanbul as "unsettling." He also urged
Erdogan to de-escalate the situation "in the spirit of European values"
and seek a "constructive exchange and peaceful dialogue."
Until now, Westerwelle's position had been to open a new chapter in
EU negotiations with Turkey as soon as possible. In May, he had said
that a "new impetus" was needed and offered the prospect of fresh
talks in the near future.
But the prevailing mood in Berlin at the moment is reserved, and the
television images have raised questions about whether things can move
forward. "In light of the many open questions, there are considerable
doubts over whether it will soon be possible to open another accession
chapter," a source at the German Foreign Ministry told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
The source also explicitly stated that this "probably won't be
possible." The words serve as a clear warning to the government in
Ankara from the Foreign Ministry.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Visits Protesters
In member countries' parliaments and the European Parliament,
the chorus of voices demanding that accession talks be suspended
is growing. A decision by the foreign ministers to open a chapter
on regional policies on June 26 could even be delayed, EU sources
in Brussels said, expressing their disappointment. Turkey has been
engaged in accession negotiations with the EU since 2005, but so far
only one chapter has been closed -- that of science and research.
Over the weekend, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton warned there
is a connection between how members of the opposition are treated in
Turkey and the country's accession negotiations. And, last Thursday
and Friday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule traveled to Turkey
to get an overview of the situation himself. He visited protesters
at night at Taksim Square and left with the impression that normal
people were peacefully exercising their freedom of assembly. In a
public speech given in Erdogan's presence the next day, he said those
responsible for the violence should be held accountable. The Turkish
prime minister responded by saying it was he who would decide what
was in Turkey's best interests.
EU Has Few Means for Applying Pressure
For the EU, the situation presents a difficult balancing act. On
the one hand, officials don't want to watch silently as violence is
inflicted upon peaceful protesters. All the same, they don't want to
lose Ergodan as a partner. "There have been many reforms recently
in Turkey," European Commission sources say. "It wouldn't be good
to discontinue negotiations." The hope in Brussels is that Erdogan
will start a face-saving retreat in the coming days. The fact that
he plans to meet with protest leaders on Wednesday is already being
perceived as a positive sign.
In Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the parliamentary leader of the
opposition center-left Social Democratic Party, holds a similar view.
He argued in an interview with the newsweekly Focus that accession
negotiations should not be linked to daily politics, but the big
picture.
But Erdogan is putting his partners to the test. The British
government, traditionally the most outspoken supporter of Turkish EU
membership, is very concerned that he may create irreparable damage.
"The more Erdogan acts like a Putin light, the more difficult it
will be to promote EU membership for Turkey," said Charles Grant,
director of the Center for European Reform, a London-based think tank.
Grant points out that Turkey's EU partners also have no real means
with which to pressure Erdogan to reason, however. "The threat to
suspend membership talks is an empty threat," Grant said. "Erdogan
won't mind. He has other priorities."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/erdogan-crackdown-could-threaten-eu-membership-talks-a-905344.html
From: Baghdasarian
By Carsten Volkery and Severin Weiland
AFP Volleys of tear gas are fired on Istanbul's Taksim Square on
June 11.
The crackdown against protesters in Istanbul by the Turkish government
creates a dilemma for the EU. The Europeans don't want to tolerate
violence against demonstrators, but they also don't want to lose
Erdogan as a partner.
Once again, images of violence in Istanbul have been broadcast to
living rooms across Europe. They showed Turkish police advancing
on Taksim Square during the night with bulldozers and water
cannons. For hours, officers in riot gear engaged in street fighting
with protesters. On Wednesday morning, the remnants of those clashes
could be seen on the cleared square.
The drastic measures taken by the government of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan have created a dilemma for Turkey's partners in the
European Union. Since the escalation of the civil protests at Gezi
Park at the end of May, the Europeans have been helplessly observing
as events unfold. Besides an appeal or warning here and there, so
far there has been no substantial reaction from Brussels, Berlin,
Paris or London.
They are worried that the violent excesses in Turkey could destroy
progress made in recent months. After years of stalling, diplomats
had worked painstakingly to get talks over Turkey's future European
Union accession back on track. On June 26, EU foreign ministers had
hoped to open a new chapter in accession talks with Turkey for the
first time in three years. It would be the 19th of 35 chapters that
must be completed before Ankara can join the European club.
Prospects for Talks Dim
The massive police deployment is being monitored very closely in EU
capitals, including Berlin. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
described the images from Istanbul as "unsettling." He also urged
Erdogan to de-escalate the situation "in the spirit of European values"
and seek a "constructive exchange and peaceful dialogue."
Until now, Westerwelle's position had been to open a new chapter in
EU negotiations with Turkey as soon as possible. In May, he had said
that a "new impetus" was needed and offered the prospect of fresh
talks in the near future.
But the prevailing mood in Berlin at the moment is reserved, and the
television images have raised questions about whether things can move
forward. "In light of the many open questions, there are considerable
doubts over whether it will soon be possible to open another accession
chapter," a source at the German Foreign Ministry told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
The source also explicitly stated that this "probably won't be
possible." The words serve as a clear warning to the government in
Ankara from the Foreign Ministry.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Visits Protesters
In member countries' parliaments and the European Parliament,
the chorus of voices demanding that accession talks be suspended
is growing. A decision by the foreign ministers to open a chapter
on regional policies on June 26 could even be delayed, EU sources
in Brussels said, expressing their disappointment. Turkey has been
engaged in accession negotiations with the EU since 2005, but so far
only one chapter has been closed -- that of science and research.
Over the weekend, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton warned there
is a connection between how members of the opposition are treated in
Turkey and the country's accession negotiations. And, last Thursday
and Friday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule traveled to Turkey
to get an overview of the situation himself. He visited protesters
at night at Taksim Square and left with the impression that normal
people were peacefully exercising their freedom of assembly. In a
public speech given in Erdogan's presence the next day, he said those
responsible for the violence should be held accountable. The Turkish
prime minister responded by saying it was he who would decide what
was in Turkey's best interests.
EU Has Few Means for Applying Pressure
For the EU, the situation presents a difficult balancing act. On
the one hand, officials don't want to watch silently as violence is
inflicted upon peaceful protesters. All the same, they don't want to
lose Ergodan as a partner. "There have been many reforms recently
in Turkey," European Commission sources say. "It wouldn't be good
to discontinue negotiations." The hope in Brussels is that Erdogan
will start a face-saving retreat in the coming days. The fact that
he plans to meet with protest leaders on Wednesday is already being
perceived as a positive sign.
In Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the parliamentary leader of the
opposition center-left Social Democratic Party, holds a similar view.
He argued in an interview with the newsweekly Focus that accession
negotiations should not be linked to daily politics, but the big
picture.
But Erdogan is putting his partners to the test. The British
government, traditionally the most outspoken supporter of Turkish EU
membership, is very concerned that he may create irreparable damage.
"The more Erdogan acts like a Putin light, the more difficult it
will be to promote EU membership for Turkey," said Charles Grant,
director of the Center for European Reform, a London-based think tank.
Grant points out that Turkey's EU partners also have no real means
with which to pressure Erdogan to reason, however. "The threat to
suspend membership talks is an empty threat," Grant said. "Erdogan
won't mind. He has other priorities."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/erdogan-crackdown-could-threaten-eu-membership-talks-a-905344.html
From: Baghdasarian