EU Enlargement - Analysis about magazine and newspaper articles [5A]
A. Bergagna - from The Economist - Special Report : Turkey and the EU - Article 1 - Why Europe Must Say Yes to Turkey
A. Bergagna

Title: Why Europe Must Say Yes to Turkey

Source: The Economist, authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion, on 18th September 2004.
Topic discussed: The article is about TURKEY'S ENTRY into EU. It analyses pros and cons with specific attention to cons and advancing a possible solution.

Content: Just from the title the journalist expresses his opinion about the problem. He is in favour of the enlargement to Turkey. The article is divided into three sequences. The titles are:
  • The EU faces a momentous decision,
  • Risk and reward
  • Islamophobia.

The article opens with the question the European Union is expected to settle: "Should the European Union open membership talk with Turkey?".
The first aspect taken into account is "Turkey is already in all the other European organisations, from the Council of Europe to NATO" followed by "a motley crew of mostly ex-communist countries from central Europe" has already entered. Therefore Turkey eventual joining seems a direct and right consequence.
From the negative expression "motley crew" an intelligent reader can understand the journalist was not in favour of the countries of the ex-communist area entry and that he now supports Turkey's admission.
The first sequence also underlines the main cons: Turkey is very large, very poor, not all of it is in Europe and besides it is Muslim.
In addition the journalist juxtaposes to the reasons for the past refusal to the reforms enacted to come close to the Copenhagen criteria.
The second sequence deals with Turkey’s size, poverty, position and religion in detail. Because of its size, it will overtake Germany as the biggest member and have the heaviest voting weight as well as the largest national block in the European Parliament.
The journalist says that the consideration is not worth since the real problem is in the European Union there are too many small members without power.
The problem of poverty deals with the eventual mass migration which could follow admission. People‘s life was generally based on agriculture and they could not compete with the other industrialized Member States.
According to the journalist the problem of Turkey's position is not a real one. As a matter of fact, Brussels said Turkey is not sufficiently European to be a candidate but Cyprus, which lies east of Ankara, was accepted in the Union. Anyway a chunk of Turkey lies on the European continent, too.
Last but not least, a very crucial problem raised is the question of religion. Turkey is incompatible with a secular, liberal democracy, which characterized E Union and it is closely connected to the Islamic fundamentalism. which are not considered options to be discussed in the Copenhagen criteria.

Personal Comment: The article is well organized. At first the problems are introduced and they are later analysed into detailed. The journalist does not let anything to doubt. When he says that size and position are not the real reasons that move the opposition to the admission, I side with him.

Anyway I think poverty, religion, law and lifestyle must be considered big hindrance.
In my opinion, Turkey is very different from most Member States and its entry could threat the level of stability and peace reached by EU so far.
The difference has to do not only with economy but with law, too. Turkey is a poor country and its admission could lower the average level of the Union and reduce EU ability to compete with U.S.A. and China.
I think a radical change, whether possible, would not help Turks.
The problem of migration could increase. From another point-of-view Turkey's law and way of life do not meet the "Copenhagen criteria" present in the Preamble of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, too. For example, death penalty has not been abolished yet.

Teacher: serious work but still compromised by L1 interference