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Comma
Selçuk
M. PERIN
December 4, 2003
WHEN
EU and TURKS meets head on...
There is a mood in the EU Commission and the mood is looking
for some kind of respite from the Turkish side to alleviate
the pressure put upon the EU Parliament, The Commission
and The Council for the decision on the adhesion talks.
Yet,
the informal MEDEA meeting seems to be only to confirm
that the EU institutions are neither ready for the Turkish
adhesion talks, nor the arrival of the 10 in May 1st.
A
consensus is building on the issues that the European
Union is neither Ideologically, Politically and Administratively
ready to incorporate the new comers and let alone those
who are knocking at its door.
The
adhesion talks for those who would join and those who
are aspiring to join the EU Club has pegs and every time
Europe has a problem, those pegs are upped and changed.
This shows that the Europeans are not really ready with
their Constitution, their Administration, their Defense
and most importantly their common Foreign Policies. Ancient
Yugoslavia, Kosovo and Irak are prime examples in this
disagreement Europe has lived in the past 10 years.
Yet,
another aspect of Europe’s incapability is to fix
their-own sovereignty problems. But asking the new comers
to adhere higher rules and forfeit some of theirs is common
practice. Again there you may see the two weights and
two measures applied when one is talking of the 15 and
the newcomers.
Some
high placed administrators in the Commission admit that
if they were to request any of what they ask the newcomers
or those wanting to adhere to the EU, to any of the members
governments who are already in the EU, they would be kicked
out of the offices of the ministers! What does that means?
It means hypocrisy to its limit. We will not do what we
ask, but we will ask you to do it anyway. It also means
that we are holding the upper hand and if you do step
out of line you are out!
Doesn’t
what the ECOFIN ministers have done in the recent weeks
show that. The two big nations and steam machines of the
European Policy and Advancement were in trouble with the
Commission over the Stability Pact. They have agreed to
second guess the Commission and do what they are pleased
to do! My question would have been if those were smaller
countries or some of the newcomers, would the decision
be the same? I sincerely doubt it. Yet, it is so for the
big shots.
Another
point made during the MEDEA meeting in Brussels was that,
it would have been a lot easier to incorporate Turkey
into the EU today than the 10 on line for may 1st 2004.
Hold on what is that supposed to mean? Well as I understood,
the problems with the 10 are far from being resolved and
other, bigger problems than those, which are spoken are
still to be ironed out. It would have certainly cost the
EU lot less in investment and would have been easier to
iron out the differences.
Even
with those arriving in May 1st Europe is still having
a demography problem! It also has a growth problem! Where
as in Turkey the demography issue would have been partially
solved and the growth issue will ease itself out. 50%
of the Turkish population is under 25 years of age and
the Economic Growth is at 5.5% per year.
Europeans
have a tendency of forgetting the past, the past they
really do not want to talk about. Yet their ability to
talk about their own past is incredibly easy. They tend
to forget their promises made a short numbers of years
ago. Agreements they have entered to get rid of a problem
they have had. Examples; Irak, Syria, Cyprus to name some.
Vietnam, which the French gave as a poisoned gift to the
Americans…
Now
a Cyprus issue haunts them and they want a solution that
would confirm their hegemony in the Eastern Mediterranean
and please their Greek partners. The adhesion of Cyprus.
Yet
as they do not recognize the Northern Turkish Republic
of Turkey in its existence, they invite the opposition
members of its parliament to discuss in De Hague with
European Parliamentarians, they adhere to their opinions
and sell them the Annan plan which the Turkish Cypriot
leader Rauf Denktas' refuses. They do not invite those
from the majority… I wonder what kind of a devious
political mind would and can plan this. And they can talk
about it openly. Klerides announces in his own countries’
press, he would have vetoed the Annan plan, no-one talks
about it. When he says even if Denktas' had agreed on
it, I would have refused. No one pays attention. Again
interests and power play.
Personally
I do think that the only solution in Cyprus would be to
let them simmer in their own sweat. Let both parties find
the solution, but not an imposed solution. A solution
we deem probably good for them, since we tend only to
talk to those who would answer to our prayers. That does
not hold the interests of the interested in high esteem.
It is what we want and not how they want to solve the
problem? Cut the funds and the promises and the solution
would shortly be presenting it self.
Europe
is to stop trembling in front of the Turkish adhesion
talks! Europe should look at its balance of payments with
the Turkish commerce and think twice! Europe should look
at the demography and think!
And
especially Europe should stop alienating the Turkish people
with false pretexts.
_ . _
www.selcukperin.com
smperin@brutele.be
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