They have visited four capitals in four days, holding meetings during the day and traveling at night and in this fast-moving world this might appear to be business as unusual. But considering that the group’s average age is 70, the story comes out in a different light.
While Turkey is busying itself struggling to solve the Kurdish issue, cooling the latest animosity between Syria and Iraq, or simply coping with the floods that have devastated Istanbul, a group of prominent Europeans is touring continental capitals to make Turkey´s case.
The Independent Commission on Turkey was established five years ago to promote a rational debate on Turkey’s accession to the European Union. Comprised of former politicians, the commission released its first report on Turkish-EU relations in September 2004. Members of the commission then toured European capitals to lobby for the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey. The bloc decided to start membership talks with Turkey in December 2004, yet the talks – now in their fifth year – have come nearly to a standstill. Commission members are back on the road again to caution a largely European audience that there is an urgent need to break the vicious cycle of recent Turkish-EU relations.
Growing apprehension:
The commission believes that negative reactions from European political leaders and the growing apprehension of the European public about further enlargement have given Turkey the impression that it is not welcome, even if it were to meet all the membership conditions. Support in Turkey for the EU has faded and the reform process has stalled. Lack of Turkish reforms triggered more European opposition to Turkey´s accession. According to the commission, the sense of being excluded has further demoralized Turkish reformers, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle.
Headed by Nobel Peace Prize-winner Martti Ahtisaari, the commission has released its second report and focused mainly on ways to break the cycle. The report was released on Monday in Brussels, where the commission met with Olie Rehn, the European Union’s top enlargement official. The commission left Brussels for the first leg of their European tour, which included Sweden, which held the EU presidency, followed by France and Austria. Emma Bonnino, the vice president of the Italian Senate, accompanied Ahtisaari, the only person in the eight-member commission to currently hold a job. “We are atypical retirees,” said Ahtisaari of the rest of the group that also includes former French prime minister Michel Rocard and Albert Rohan, former secretary-general of Austrian foreign affairs.
Throughout the tour, commission members have carried the message that European leaders have a moral obligation to keep the promise given to Turkey that it will join the 27-nation bloc upon completing its reform obligations. The commission did not need to struggle much to convey this message to Sweden, since there is a cross-party consensus to support Turkey´s accession.
This was not the case in France and Austria, where many are advocating an alternative to membership. The discussion with French opinion makers evolved into an ethical debate about honoring commitments. The world changes, said a French bureaucrat, claming that the decisions made 50 years ago in Yalta are not being implemented, either, and questioning the commission´s view that promises must be kept.
Trust problems:
“We have to honor our undertakings with any country. Otherwise, I would not be able to trust in any European institution,” said Ahtisaari, adding that if Europe is not consistent with its own values it will be difficult for him to take action in a country like Namibia. “People come and go, governments come and go. But what are permanent are procedures, rules and institutions,” said Emma Bonino.
In the debate organized by the notorious French Institute of International Relations, or IFRI, some participants voiced support for Turkey’s bid. “Some problems can not be solved without Turkey,” said one attendee. “That might be correct, yet public opinion in Europe unfortunately remains unaware,” said the moderator, Dominique Moisi, who is one of Europe´s leading geopolitical thinkers. His comment in turn triggered a debate on the negative public opinion of Turkish accession, an issue that the commission has tackled in detail in its report.
“Let´s not underestimate the public opinion but let´s not forget that it can be manipulated,” said Ahtisaari, a view shared by Bonino, who reiterated the role of political leaders in shaping public opinion: “When Poland was about to enter the European Union, everyone in France feared an invasion of the Polish workforce. We have not seen that invasion. With Turkey entering the EU, everyone argues that all poor Turks will be flocking to Europe. Only my mother-in-law can believe such things. Those who are aware of the realities should be aware of their responsibilities. In Italy, all of a sudden every Italian has become an angel and immigrants commit all crimes. This kind of discourse, encouraged by politicians, is dangerous. It will lead to racism. Political leaders should stop putting the blame on the public,” she said, not forgetting to apologize to her mother-in-law at the end.
Moisi underscored that the current French government would rather see “Europe with Turkey,” rather than “Turkey in Europe.” Another commission member, former Spanish foreign minister Marcelino Oreja Aguirre, firmly stated that Turkey is in Europe. “You might think that Turkey is not European. This can only be a personal judgment, not an institutional one,” he said, recalling that Turkey has become a member of the Council of Europe in 1949 and that in 1999 it was unanimously declared an EU candidate.
The commission’s report and capital visits have received intensive coverage in the European media. It remains to be seen to what degree the commission will be able to influence European leaders and public opinion. “We know we can not create miracles,” said Bonino. “We have to be persistent. I know that from personal experience.”
10-IX-09, B. Yinanç, hurriyetdailynews