Title:
• “Why Europe must say yes to Turkey”.
Source:
• “The Economist” September 18th-24th 2004.
TOPIC DISCUSSED.
The entry of Turkey into the EU, considering risks and benefits.
CONTENT.
The article is arranged into three sections introduced by three subheading; in the introductory section the main problems are posed.
It’s an opinionist article and the opinion of he who writes the text is in favour of the entry of Turkey into the EU.
The issue is the analysis of the general situation of Turkey, because the opening could have a strong impact on Western countries.
The article points out all the risks and rewards, presents the various possible situations in the country.
PROBLEMS RAISED:
The raised problems are different:
1. Turkey has 71m people. The size is too big because in 15 years Turkey could become bigger than Germany with the heaviest voting weight in Brussels and the largest national block in the European Parliament. It could become a decision maker, in addition to this it could become a danger.
2. Geography speaking, is Turkey in Europe? Only a small part is really on our continent but Brussels in 1963 decided that Ankara, Turkey’s capital, could be candidate to EU one day because it is sufficiently European.
3. Islam. The religious argument against admitting Turkey rests one of the strongest. Probably Islam is incompatible with secular liberal democracy. This is not a case of equating Islam with support for Osama bin Laden, but many Europeans are hostile to Turkey’s plan to joint their Union.
4. Human rights. Turkey still needs many improvements on this matter in hope of meeting the “Copenhagen criteria”:
1- the political engagement for the achievement of institutional stability in order to guarantee democracy, as well as the respect of fundamental human rights and the protection of minorities (political criteria)
2- The existence of an open and accessible market economy in the European Union (economical criteria)
3- The capacity to respect the own obligations and to approve the political and monetary Union objectives (adhering to EU regulations).
5. High poverty. Turkey’s GDP per head is only 29% of the EU 25 average and over a third of its people work the land. They need strong foreign investments to construct the industrial network.
Turkey had suffered from plenty of failings: political and economic instability, interfering role of its army and lots of human rights abuses. A swathe of reforms has been developed since 2002 by Erdogan’s party in order to meet the Copenhagen criteria; despite these reforms there are still today several problems from culture to religion to criminality.
GENERAL COMMENTS.
Turkey could be a good test –case in order to encourage all Muslims, not Ankara only, to join into liberal democracy.
This fact is very important because it could be a small step in order to find a solution to the growing problem between the Muslim countries and the Western countries.
PERSONAL COMMENT.
All the world is facing the Middle East war and the difficult relation between different cultures. The root of culture is always religion and Turkey’s affaire could be an “open hand “ to start solving the problem of Muslims.
Europe could demonstrate the old back ground of democracy and civilisation.