Turkey's Memembership in EU - Essay Example

Turkey's Membership in the EU TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS Turkey's Membership in the EU 2 A. Turkey: Still Waiting for EU's Yes It's been a difficult and long journey, but there's no immediate relief in sight for Turkey, which remains a candidate for membership in the post-Cold War European Union. Turkey became a member of NATO in 1952 and has stayed a member for more than half a century. Almost 50 years ago, on September 1959, the Ankara government applied for associate membership in the European Economic Community or EEC. However, its invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and a 1980 military coup d'etat made relations between Europe and Turkey less than cordial. Twenty years ago, in 1987, Turkey applied for full EEC membership, a request denied after the European Parliament reported on Ankara's unsatisfactory progress, and in particular its failure to implement agreements pertaining to the Cyprus problem. On December 2006, EU foreign ministers decided to follow the Commission's recommendations and suspend talks with Turkey on eight of the 35 areas under Turkey's Membership in the EU 3 negotiation. Turkey will not become a EU member in the foreseeable future, or at the very least, not within the next 10-15 years.1 Despite undeniable progress by Turkey in some areas, there are serious problems surrounding the country's human rights record and relations with Cyprus, and its ability to catch up with the general level of political, economic and social development of EU member states. Both the EU and Turkey also have to contend with indifference and discontent shown by both governments and individuals due to "enlargement fatigue," especially after EU membership expanded by 10 members of the former Soviet bloc in 2004 and two more countries two years later (Palmer, 2006). This makes a total of 27 EU member countries, uniting both eastern and western halves of the continent for the first time since the Cold War broke out. There are some questions on the EU's capacity to balance its expansion and consolidation programs and some EU member states and citizens have reservations on such issues as the possible influx of Turkish workers and its impact on employment figures. However, some political Turkey's Membership in the EU 4 analysts believe that the underlying question is Turkey's identity, whether this identity can be accepted as part of the new Europe, and whether the geographically distant and culturally different Turkey should and can be part of a united Europe (Kubicek, 2005). This report will deal with the EU's enlargement program and its relation to and impact on its vision of a united, peaceful, prosperous and democratic Europe and the specific problems and challenges that affect the entry of Turkey into the European Union. B. Europe: A United Continent "Enlargement has been at the heart of the European Union's development over several decades. The very essence of European integration is to overcome the division of Europe and contribute to the peaceful unification of the continent ." (Enlargement, 2006) Turkey's membership in the EU 5 The dissolution of the Soviet bloc provided added impetus to the formation of a new and united Europe and a stronger and more competitive global player than any other except perhaps for the USA. The 2004 and 2006 addition of twelve new members has increased the rate of economic growth and brought more prosperity for EU member countries as a whole. It has established an extremely large sone of democracy, peace and the rule of law in the continent. "The European Commission estimates that joining the Union will add up to one percent extra growth each year for newcomers during the first ten years of membershipThe enlarged single market will provide competitive EU firms with greater business opportunities, create jobs and raise tax revenues." Enlargement has laid the foundation for continent-wide peace and stability, and encouraged the growth of human rights-based and democratic institutions, laws and practice. The requirements for membership are now rigorous, and candidate countries Turkey's Membership in the EU 6 are expected to attain an appropriate and acceptable level of commonality with other European countries over principles, policies and institutions. They have to prove that they are capable of managing their reform programs. It was simpler at first, and the Maastricht Treaty simply specified that any democratic European state is qualified to become a member of the Union. The Copenhagen Criteria , set up in 1993,2 further clarified what all candidate countries must possess to qualify for EU membership: stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union; the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including support for the aims of the Union. They must have a Turkey's Membership in the EU 7 public administration capable of applying and managing EU laws in practice. In addition to the Copenhagen criteria, EU membership requires changes in the candidate country's rules and institutions to make them consistent with those of the EU, and consultation-dialogue with the country's civil society. Aside from these general requirements, there are specific issues that have to be settled before Turkey can be integrated into the European Union, namely: the Cyprus issue, freedom of speech and religion, improving relations with Armenia, and ensuring the rights of the Kurd minority group. An additional stumbling block to Turkey's integration into the EU is the fact that more than half of the present EU population do not want enlargement, and worse, Turkey is their last choice for EU membership among the present and candidate members. "Many of Turkey's supposed shortcomings are well known: it is too big, too poor, too agricultural, too authoritarian, and, perhaps above all, too Muslim" (Kubicek, 2005). It seems that Turkey may have to win hearts and minds, that is, get public Turkey's Membership in the EU 8 approval of its entry into the EU, as well as comply with the official EU requirements, before achieving its long held goal of Europeanisation. The evaluation of the Commission of the European Communities of its enlargement strategy (Enlargement, 2006-2007) shows that the strategy has benefited individual members and the entire EU. The report also shows that the EU is internally quite capable of integrating additional members. However, the attention given by many governments and citizens to Turkey's "supposed shortcomings" indicates that the EU has not been totally successful in convincing the people of Europe about the correctness and benefits of its enlargement strategy, whether it applies to a former Communist country or to Turkey. The "arguments" also seem to indicate a certain amount of fear and prejudice based on religion, ethnicity, history, and other "differences," which goes against the European Union's stand for pluralism and diversity, as elucidated in its Charter of Fundamental Rights. Turkey's Membership in the EU 9 The point that must be made is that the decision on Turkey's membership must be based on the same requirements imposed on other EU members and candidates, and not on ignorance, fear and prejudice. Since the EU upholds pluralism and diversity, differences in religion, ethnicity and culture should be considered as immaterial to EU membership as long as Turkey, or any other candidate, shares a common vision and goals with the EU and complies with the accession process. Unfortunately this principle does not always operate in real life. Turkey's Reform Program In December 1999, Turkey was granted candidate status, just two years after it was flatly rejected by the EU. It set off a "political avalanche" of democratisation in Turkey including the reform of the Turkish penal code. These reforms include but are not limited to the following: the imposition of more serious penalties in cases of human rights violations by state authorities; incorporation of the most recent international Turkey's Membership in the EU 10 conventions and laws, including those against genocide and discrimination against indigenous peoples; abolishment of the capital punishment; recognition and broadening of the scope of freedom of expression; and support for gender equality including the prohibition of virginity tests without judicial permission (Neuhwahl, 2005). The human rights situation in Turkey brightened up because of these measures, as well as a hiatus in the fighting between the Turkish military forces and insurgent forces. A growing although still relatively weak Turkish civil society supported the reform program. It also helped that the Justice and Development Party, in power since 2002, strongly supported the "Europeanisation" of Turkey and instituted measures in keeping with "European" values and standards such as civilian supremacy in civilian-military relations. Although there were obvious shortcomings, the EU decided that Turkey's achievements were sufficient to initiate accession talks in 2005, six years after the country was granted candidate status (Kubicek 2005). Turkey's Membership in the EU 11 The Turkish bid for EU membership is progressing satisfactorily on a technical level but it is not doing so well politically. The initial enthusiasm and high hopes have turned to disillusionment on the part of both EU and Turkey. The EU believes that Turkey has slowed down, instead of keeping pace with or even accelerating the initial pace of reforms, and continues to refuse to open its ports and airports to Cyprus. Turkey on the other hand resents the fact that it has had to take politically unpopular steps without any guarantee that it will become, finally, a legitimate and recognised part of the European Union. The Human Rights Watch, in its World Report: Turkey (2006), recognizes Turkey's progress in promoting and implementing human rights laws, but criticizes government's failure to control state forces, principally the military, that continue to resist and sabotage the country's reform program. The use of unwarranted force by security forces had risen sharply in 2006. On the other hand, it is clear that although the use of Turkey's Membership in the EU 12 torture has not been eradicated totally, the number of incidents and victims have gone down considerably since the 1990s. Freedom of expression has expanded and improved. People conduct open debates, even on topics traditionally left untouched but freedom of expression is not well protected through the construction of the necessary laws and policies, structures and mechanisms. In addition, there are still cases of people being prosecuted for the non-violent expression of their opinions and ideas. Turkey has also repeatedly postponed the adoption of a law on religious freedom that would benefit the non-Muslim sections of the population and make life easier for them. Some progress was made in establishing judicial independence and fighting corruption, but corruption is still extremely widespread. The Cyprus Issue Although the 2004 Annan compromise opening Turkey's ports and airports to Cyprus was approved by the Turkish Cypriots, it was rejected by the Greek Cypriots, Turkey's Membership in the EU 13 and has ended in a still unresolved stalemate. Although Turkey assented to an extension of the custom union agreement with the EU, it has failed to open up its ports and airports to Cypriot planes and ships. It still has to fully normalise relations with EU countries, especially Cyprus itself, and its other neighbours. Turkey is in a quandary. On one hand Turkey's continued refusal to allow Cyprus access to its ports and airports does jeopardise its attempts to join the EU. On the other hand, opening the ports and airports will cost it dearly in terms of domestic support, especially with the long delay and possible rejection of its bid for EU membership (Hannay, 2006).3 According to a Eurobarometer, less than half (44 percent) of the Turkish population now support the government's thrust - Europeanisation -- down from a more solid 66 percent in 2005 (EurActiv, updated 2007). The Kurdish Ethnic Group Turkey's Membership in the EU 14 As in other issues Turkey has initiated real changes in the situation of the Kurds that are definite improvements, but which still fall short of the reforms demanded for its accession to the EU. For instance, Turkey ended the state of emergency that has existed in its southeast region since 2002 and strengthened civilian rule and primacy over the military establishment. The use of assassination and torture has gone down considerably while the number of investigations into human rights violations has gone up consistently, from just a hundred in 2002 to more than 2,600 in 2004, and has even resulted in some prosecutions. Unfortunately, the year 2006 was marked by a resurgence of clashes between government and Kurdish dissident forces and the use of unwarranted force by security forces against unarmed civilians taking part in demonstrations (KHRP, 2004 and Kuras, 2007). Government has also failed to address the root causes of the Kurdish insurgent movement, namely, impoverishment, displacement from their communities and homes, unemployment, and discrimination by the Turkish majority. Turkey's Membership in the EU 15 Accession Fatigue "The accession of Turkey to the European Union is beset by troubles. It needn't be if both sides concentrate on the positives, the big picture and the long term (Barysch, 2006)." 4 If 44 percent of Turkish Citizens, and roughly the same number of EU citizens are to be followed, Turkey will not become a member of the EU at this time and perhaps for all time. The Turkish peoples have started to lose patience and hope after the 1997 decision of EU leaders to deny candidate status to their country and the detailed, comprehensive and sometimes politically sensitive reforms that the Turkish government is obliged to implement even at the cost of their constituency's approval and support. The Turkish government's goal - europeanisation and its presumed benefits - are still considered an open-ended question, and there is no reassurance that the EU will decide to admit Turkey into its ranks. This delay and uncertainty is peculiar to Turkey's Turkey's Membership in the EU 16 case and is linked, as some quarters have pointed out, to Turkey's "differences," the problems that these "differences" may potentially create, and the possible effects on EU governments and citizens. Will these effects be in keeping with EU's vision of Europe or not Kubicek (2005) for one believes that Turkey's entry would break new ground in expanding Europe geographically till Georgia and even further; culturally by the introduction of Islam into an essentially Christian grouping; and politically by the addition of what will surely become the largest country in the entire continent. In this view, the changes that Turkey may initiate will be in keeping with a vision of a strong, united, powerful, and multicultural EU. The entry of a "different" Turkey will be considered beneficial, as this action can deliver a powerful and positive message for Muslim peoples all over the world. Turkey can also strengthen the EU through its large and youthful population, economic potential, and cultural heritage. However other people's vision of Europe may be based on a common or shared history, traditions, and beliefs that preclude significant differences in race, religion and ethnicity, and the fear that the Turkey's Membership in the EU 17 entry of Turkey will mean the Islamisation of Europe. To them, Turkey, because of Islam, its culture and its history, has not been, is not now, and will never be part of Europe. In short the question of identity has become an added determinant in EU membership. Europe has an identity - a long and well established Christian tradition that dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. The identity comes complete with its laws and legal systems, musical forms and traditions, art and architecture. Turkey's identity cannot be as neatly categorized. It is Muslim and devout, yet secular and open to the west, and in fact has been undergoing a long process of europeanisation that it expected to peak with its EU membership. It is a challenge to the EU and European civil society and social movements that will have to weigh their options and choose between a homogenous Europe and a multicultural Europe. The 9-11 attack and other events and developments have complicated Turkey's identity with the image of "terrorist Islam." Maybe it's possible for EU to accept Turkey and its "identity" and for Turkey to adapt to EU and its identity (Becerik, ) Turkey's Membership in the EU 18 Both EU and Turkey are presently grappling with the problems and challenges underlying EU membership. Turkey may not fully realise that EU membership does not rely only on the reform program that candidates have to accept and implement, but also on its acceptability to the EU governments and public. It requires not only a sincere attempt at necessary reforms, but it is also a matter of overcoming unfounded fears and biases, and winning hearts and minds. Helene Sjursen (2002) postulates, "the EU is an entity in the making" and can turn out to be either "a problem-solving entity," "a value based community," or "a political citizenship." The first entity focuses on economic gains and candidates for membership are weighed based on what they can contribute toward the prosperity of each and every member. The second focuses on common values and candidates are judged on kinship, on common interests and traditions, and on keeping the outsider apart and distant from the rest. The third uses universal principles to build unities and tries to draw in as many people as possible who support these principles. Turkey's Membership in the EU Right now, the European Union ensures the existence of a peaceful and prosperous continent. It can do far more than this, taking on some responsibility for the well being of people outside the continent and outside EU. Perhaps its vision will in time expand. After all our most basic and vital identity is still that of the human, a member of the human race. Kubicek (2005) chose these words from Kalypso Nicolaidis of Oxford University to underscore his point about the EU and Turkey: The most powerful signal yet that the EU is indeed a new kind of global normative power in the making, which instead of banishing the Muslim world as Europe's other is capable of taking on the challenge of having a Muslim country as its biggest single member one day. Europe is an idea, not a tribe to be defined on ethnic or religious terms. BIBLIOGRAPHY WORKS CITED Becerik, G., Turkey's Accession to the EU: A Test Case for the Relevance of Identity. Viewed 1 May at: http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/esi_turkey_tpq_id_78.pdf EU-Turkey Relations (updated March 2007), Article 129678, EurActiv website. Accessed 29 April at: http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/eu-turkey-relations/article-129678 EU-Turkey Negotiations, EURactive website, 3 October 2005; updated 15 February http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/eu-turkey-negotiations-heading-stalemate/article-158818 Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges (2006-2007), Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Commission of the European Communities. Accessed 29 April at: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2006/Nov/com_649_strategy_paper_en.pdf Hannay, D. (2005), Time for a sense of propriety and compromise, Center for European Reform (CER), Viewed 1 May at: http://www.cer.org.uk/turkey_new/publications_turkey_new.html HRW World Report 2006 (Turkey), Human Rights Watch, viewed on April 30 at: http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/turkey14845.htm Kubicek, P. (2005) Turkish accession to the European union: challenges and opportunities, World Affairs, Fall 2005. Accessed 28 April at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2393/is_2_168/ai_n15924418 Kuras, E. (2007), Kurds in Turkey, still fighting for freedom, Third World Traveler. Viewed 1 May at: www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Middle_East/KurdsFreedom_Turkey.html More unity and more diversity, The European Union's biggest enlargement, Directorate-General for Press and Communication, November 2003. Viewed 1 May at: http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/41/en.pdf Neuwahl, N. (2005), Turkish EU Accession and EU Foreign Policy, Collegium, College of Europe, No. 31, Spring 2005, 11-28. Viewed 30 April at: http://www.coleurop.be/content/publications/pdf/Collegium%2031.pdf Palmer, J. (23 May 2006) Europe's Enlargement Problem, openDemocracy website. Accessed 28 April at: http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-europe_constitution/enlargement_3572.jsp Turkey 2006 Progress Report, Commission Staff Working Document, Commission of the European Communities. Accessed 30 April at: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2006/nov/tr_sec_1390_en.pdf Annex B HISTORY OF TURKEY'S APPLICATION FOR EU MEMBERSHIP February 1952: Turkey becomes a full member of NATO. September 1959: Ankara applies for associate membership of the European Economic Community September 1963: TheAnkara Agreement is signed to take Turkey to Customs Union and finally to full EEC membership. The first financial protocol is also signed. November 1970: Additional Protocol and the second financial protocol are signed in Brussels. January 1973: The Additional Protocol enters into force. It sets out how the Customs Union would be established July 1974: Turkey invades Cyprus. During thefirst half of the 1980s, relations between Turkey and the Community come to a virtual freeze following the military coup d'etat on 12 September 1980. June 1980: The Association Council decides to decrease customs duties on almost all agricultural products to "zero" by 1987. September 1986: The Turkey-EEC Association Council meeting revives the association process. 14 April 1987: Turkey applies for full EEC membership. December 1989: The Commission endorses Turkey's eligibility for membership but defers the assessment of its application. March 1995: Turkey-EU Association Council finalises the agreement on the Customs Union, which enters into force on 1 January 1996. December 1997: At the Luxembourg Summit, EU leaders decline to grant candidate status to Turkey. December 1999: EU Helsinki Council decides on the candidate status of Turkey. March 2001: The EU Council of Ministers adoptsEU-Turkey Accession Partnership. March 2001: The Turkish government adopts the National Programme of Turkey for the adoption of EU laws. September 2001: Turkish parliament adopts over 30 amendments to the constitution in order to meet the Copenhagen political criteria for EU membership. August 2002: The Turkish Parliament passes sweeping reforms to meet the EU's human rights criteria. 13 December 2002: The Copenhagen European Council resolves that if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, theEU would open accession negotiations with Turkey.. In the meantime, EU leaders have agreed to extend and deepen co-operation on the EC-Turkey Customs Union and to provide Turkey with increased pre-accession financial assistance. May 2003: The EU Council of Ministers decides on the principles, priorities, intermediate objectives and conditions of theAccession Partnership with Turkey. January 2004: Turkey signs protocol banning death penalty in all circumstances, a move welcomed by the EU. March 2004: Council of Europe recommends ending monitoring of Turkey. October 2004:Commission issues progress report on Turkey. 17 December 2004:European Council decided to open Accession negotiations on 3 October 2005 , with strings attached. 23 May 2005: Turkey names Economy Minister Ali Babacan as the country's chief accession negotiator. 1 June 2005: Turkey's revised penal code, first adopted in September 2004, enters into force. 17 June 2005: The Council reiterates the EU's determination to proceed with the enlargement process. 29 June 2005: The Commissionpresents its"rigorous" negotiating framework to Ankara. 29 July 2005: Turkey signs protocol to Ankara agreement, extending EU-15 customs union to the ten new member states including Cyprus. Ankara also issues a declaration on the non-recognition of Cyprus. 21 September 2005: The EU approves its counter-declaration on Turkey's 29 July declaration. 3 October 2005: Accession talks symbolically opened with Turkey. 23 January 2006: The Council decides on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership with Turkey. 16 March: The European Parliament adopts a resolution based on a report by Elmar Brok on the Commission's enlargement strategy paper. 12 April 2006: The Selection Panel for the European Capital of Culture 2010 recommends Istanbul. 12 June 2006: The EU starts concrete accession negotiations with Turkey. The negotiating framework specifies 35 chapters. Each chapter needs to be unanimously opened and closed by the Council. The Council agrees on opening and closure of the chapter on science and research. 12/27 July 2006: The courtruling on "Turkishness" in the case of Hrant Dink sends an ambivalent signal to the EU and raises concerns over freedom of expression in Turkey. 31 July 2006: Hardliner General Yasar Bykanit is appointed chief of the Turkish military. 4 September 2006: European Parliament votesareport, concerning Turkey's progress on preparing for membership. The report says that Turkey had made insufficient progress in the areas of freedom of expression, minority rights, corruption and violence against women. 8 November2006:Commissionpublishes a criticalreport on Turkey's accession progress. 29 November 2006: Commission recommended to partially suspend membership negotiations with Turkey due to lack of progress on the Cyprus issue. 11 December 2006: EU foreign ministers decided to follow the Commission's recommendations and suspend talks with Turkey on eight of the 35 negotiating areas. 1 January 2007: Germany takes over the rotating Presidency of the EU. Germany is expected to revive the general debate on the future of the EU. May 2007: Turkey's presidential elections November 2007: Turkey's parliamentary elections. The negotiation process is said to be "open-ended" (that is, approval of EU membership is not guaranteed) and is expected to take at least 10-15 years. Sources: EU-Turkey Negotiations, EURactive website, 3 October 2005; updated 15 February 2007. Read More