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WHY SHOULD TURKEY TAKE THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SERIOUSLY?
Daily Sabah, Turkey
March 24 2015
OZAN CEYHUN
Some circles in the EU that are against Turkey's EU membership are
now playing their last hand on the eve of the general elections in
Turkey to be held on June 7. They have only one goal, and that is to
interfere with the Turkish public's right to vote democratically and
hinder the public support given to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Since these circles have different kinds of intelligence report and
other sources, they are aware of the fact that they cannot hinder the
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the elections. But that is
not their purpose. They aim to prevent the AK Party from having more
deputies in Parliament, which would reinforce the power of the ruling
party. They are concerned with undermining Turkey's consolidation in
this way.
Since they cannot prevent an AK Party government, they are exerting
efforts to prevent it from having the power to unilaterally create a
new constitution for Turkey. Perhaps they are afraid of the new Turkey
having a new constitution as a social, democratic, modern and powerful
country. They may also have some concerns regarding the introduction
of a presidential system in Turkey. They are right in their worries,
because the new Turkey does not even address them. It is not possible
to manipulate Turkey now by using the EU membership process. On the
contrary, the EU has to support the new Turkey for its own interests.
And this fact infuriates those who are against Turkey even more.
If the EU and the European Parliament (EP), which is constantly
manipulated against Turkey, insist on the former mentality, Turkey's
new government and parliament will have to reconsider many things
regarding the EU and EP after the June 7 elections.
The EP will be manipulated again next month.
At the EP General Meeting to be held on April 15, those trying to
issue a declaration on the Armenian genocide claims that are still
questioned by historians under the influence of the Armenian diaspora,
which preserves its existence by only conducting politics against
Turkey, will try to do that by also adding some extra claims against
Turkey about Syriacs and Pontic Greeks.
Their purpose is evident, to increase political pressure on Turkey on
the eve of the general elections. Those involved in such malevolent
and unethical efforts cannot even see that their efforts actually
motivate Turkish voters to support the AK Party even more.
Is it not right to ask: "Why should Turkey take such an EP seriously?"
The Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) is a second instance.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to say a single positive word about
the JPC.
During the years I was an EP member, the JPC, in which I formerly acted
as a deputy co-chair, was being manipulated by circles against Turkey
as a platform for defaming Turkey. And now it is not a coincidence
that the JPC mostly comprised of Greek and Greek Cypriot deputies
and members of radical right parties in EU countries. Using the JPC
as a platform to constantly defame and criticize Turkey, especially
by Greek Cypriot members, seems to be deliberate.
Lately, in a JPC meeting held at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara
on March 19-20, most of the EP participants were Greeks or Greek
Cypriots. Apart from a few figures including German member Renate
Sommer from the Christian Democratic Union, the majority of members
from EU countries stayed away from the JPC meeting. What is the reason
for that?
The Greek and Greek Cypriot members said the same things they have
been repeating for decades.
It does not surprise me that the Greek and Greek Cypriot members
perceive criticizing Turkey as their sole political duty. But how could
influential groups in the EP that criticize this situation allow it?
While forming the JPC, EP Parliamentary Groups could not approve or
suggest even a single figure who could pose a threat to EU-Turkey
relations if they wished. However, it seems that this time, the main
criterion for membership in the JPC is being a member of a party that
is Greek, Greek Cypriot or against Islam and Turkey.
Otherwise we cannot explain why the EP wing of the JPC is co-chaired by
a Greek and the other chairs are Greek Cypriots. The members joining
and speaking at the meetings are the same.
This situation actually reveals the fact that the JPC issue should
be reconsidered from a different perspective.
To be honest, the JPC has not brought any substantial benefit to
Turkey. On the contrary, nearly all of its meetings contributed to
the negative perception of the EU by the Turkish public.
Also, we have a right to question the benefits of the JPC to EU-Turkey
relations, since it has not been of any help even though it was
founded to support Turkey's EU membership process at a parliamentary
level of the process, when the negotiations with Turkey could not be
maintained due to the approach of the EU and political blackmailing
taking place through negotiations.
As the Turkish wing of the JPC will be reformed after the June 7
elections, this issue is open to discussion.
If the EP wants to be taken seriously by the Turkish public, it must
endeavor to build fair and ethical relations with Turkey, instead
of being trapped by nonsensical decisions that are not officially
recognized by Turkey.
http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/ozan-ceyhun/2015/03/24/why-should-turkey-take-the-european-parliament-seriously
Daily Sabah, Turkey
March 24 2015
OZAN CEYHUN
Some circles in the EU that are against Turkey's EU membership are
now playing their last hand on the eve of the general elections in
Turkey to be held on June 7. They have only one goal, and that is to
interfere with the Turkish public's right to vote democratically and
hinder the public support given to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Since these circles have different kinds of intelligence report and
other sources, they are aware of the fact that they cannot hinder the
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the elections. But that is
not their purpose. They aim to prevent the AK Party from having more
deputies in Parliament, which would reinforce the power of the ruling
party. They are concerned with undermining Turkey's consolidation in
this way.
Since they cannot prevent an AK Party government, they are exerting
efforts to prevent it from having the power to unilaterally create a
new constitution for Turkey. Perhaps they are afraid of the new Turkey
having a new constitution as a social, democratic, modern and powerful
country. They may also have some concerns regarding the introduction
of a presidential system in Turkey. They are right in their worries,
because the new Turkey does not even address them. It is not possible
to manipulate Turkey now by using the EU membership process. On the
contrary, the EU has to support the new Turkey for its own interests.
And this fact infuriates those who are against Turkey even more.
If the EU and the European Parliament (EP), which is constantly
manipulated against Turkey, insist on the former mentality, Turkey's
new government and parliament will have to reconsider many things
regarding the EU and EP after the June 7 elections.
The EP will be manipulated again next month.
At the EP General Meeting to be held on April 15, those trying to
issue a declaration on the Armenian genocide claims that are still
questioned by historians under the influence of the Armenian diaspora,
which preserves its existence by only conducting politics against
Turkey, will try to do that by also adding some extra claims against
Turkey about Syriacs and Pontic Greeks.
Their purpose is evident, to increase political pressure on Turkey on
the eve of the general elections. Those involved in such malevolent
and unethical efforts cannot even see that their efforts actually
motivate Turkish voters to support the AK Party even more.
Is it not right to ask: "Why should Turkey take such an EP seriously?"
The Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) is a second instance.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to say a single positive word about
the JPC.
During the years I was an EP member, the JPC, in which I formerly acted
as a deputy co-chair, was being manipulated by circles against Turkey
as a platform for defaming Turkey. And now it is not a coincidence
that the JPC mostly comprised of Greek and Greek Cypriot deputies
and members of radical right parties in EU countries. Using the JPC
as a platform to constantly defame and criticize Turkey, especially
by Greek Cypriot members, seems to be deliberate.
Lately, in a JPC meeting held at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara
on March 19-20, most of the EP participants were Greeks or Greek
Cypriots. Apart from a few figures including German member Renate
Sommer from the Christian Democratic Union, the majority of members
from EU countries stayed away from the JPC meeting. What is the reason
for that?
The Greek and Greek Cypriot members said the same things they have
been repeating for decades.
It does not surprise me that the Greek and Greek Cypriot members
perceive criticizing Turkey as their sole political duty. But how could
influential groups in the EP that criticize this situation allow it?
While forming the JPC, EP Parliamentary Groups could not approve or
suggest even a single figure who could pose a threat to EU-Turkey
relations if they wished. However, it seems that this time, the main
criterion for membership in the JPC is being a member of a party that
is Greek, Greek Cypriot or against Islam and Turkey.
Otherwise we cannot explain why the EP wing of the JPC is co-chaired by
a Greek and the other chairs are Greek Cypriots. The members joining
and speaking at the meetings are the same.
This situation actually reveals the fact that the JPC issue should
be reconsidered from a different perspective.
To be honest, the JPC has not brought any substantial benefit to
Turkey. On the contrary, nearly all of its meetings contributed to
the negative perception of the EU by the Turkish public.
Also, we have a right to question the benefits of the JPC to EU-Turkey
relations, since it has not been of any help even though it was
founded to support Turkey's EU membership process at a parliamentary
level of the process, when the negotiations with Turkey could not be
maintained due to the approach of the EU and political blackmailing
taking place through negotiations.
As the Turkish wing of the JPC will be reformed after the June 7
elections, this issue is open to discussion.
If the EP wants to be taken seriously by the Turkish public, it must
endeavor to build fair and ethical relations with Turkey, instead
of being trapped by nonsensical decisions that are not officially
recognized by Turkey.
http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/ozan-ceyhun/2015/03/24/why-should-turkey-take-the-european-parliament-seriously