We do not know whether Enlargement Commission Olli Rehn read our interview with James Ker-Lindsay last week entitled “Why Turkey might say no to EU membership”. However, his speech in Turkey last week showed all the signs that the European elites are beginning to worrying about just such an eventuality.
Asked to speak on the subject of “Where should Turkey focus its energies?” Rehn was the perfect diplomant, at pains to argue that the EU is not forcing anything on Turkey.
“The EU is not a teacher, Turkey is not a pupil…the EU is there to help Turkey achieve the strategic objective it has defined for itself in a free and sovereign manner–that is, joining the European Union,” he said.
While admitting that legal and political reforms were a “tall order”, which would encounter difficulties and resistance in any society, he said that he believed there was no way back “because this process was launched by the democratically elected government of Turkey in the interests of the citizens first–and not to bow to outside pressure.”
Continuing to emphasise that this is a process which Turks freely choose themselves, he said “those who … push the pedals are and will be the Turks themselves and the Turks alone.”
Last week, Ker-Lindsay mentioned that for historical reasons, Turks tend to assume that Europe wants to divide the country it into pieces so that it can be dominated.
“The EU is precisely about strengthening our influence and identity, certainly not about questioning the existence of nations,” said Rehn.
Rehn was also careful to couch the long list of reforms ahead for Turkey as something which is in the country’s own interests.
Economic reforms “provide legal certainty for investors”; promoting civil society will help in implementing reforms; reforming education will help Turkey adapt to tomorrow’s needs; opening the border with Armenia would create “opportunities for trade and jobs”, while signing the Protocol to the Ankara Agreement, which would extend the customs union to all 25 member states (including Cyprus), would be a “positive step towards normalising relations with Cyprus, pending a comprehensive settlement.”
With such skills in handling sensitive clients, maybe someone should commandeer Rehn to solve the Cyprus problem.
Fiona Mullen
