Turkey eager for admittance to European Union

By Jennifer Campbell, Ottawa Citizen January 22, 2013

Turkey eager for admittance to European Union

Gov. Gen. David Johnston received credentials from three new ambassadors Jan. 18 at Rideau Hall. Pictured here are Nancy Ndiaye Ngom of Senegal, Johnston, Riadh Essid of Tunisia and Jean-Louis Wolzfeld of Luxembourg.

Photograph by: Cpl Roxanne Shewchuk , Rideau Hall

The new Turkish ambassador to Canada says his country’s interest in gaining admittance to the European Union has waned among members of the public but it shouldn’t.

He said Turkey is Western in view and the EU is the “personification of that.” He said it could be argued that Turkey’s transition toward democracy started in the late Ottoman period. “There were lots of reforms and Ataturk stated (his interest) in bringing the Turkish nation and state to the contemporary civilization level. That goal is also personified in the EU accession process.

“But it takes two to tango and, as you know, in 1996 Turkey became the only country that has the customs union without being a member. In 2005, we started our accession negotiations, at the same time as Croatia, and Croatia is already given a date for admittance to the European Union.”

He congratulated Croatia and said their success has nothing to do with Turkey’s stagnation, but the Turkish people, he said, don’t understand why Croatia is acceding and Turkey isn’t.

“If it’s about principles, Turkey deserves to be a EU member,” he said. “We are hopeful in the Irish presidency to open up new negotiating chapters. Only science and research has been completed. At this pace, it will take a long time to complete.”

He said the EU stands to gain by Turkey’s membership, both in terms of the EU becoming a multicultural, multi-religious global actor and also because Turkey’s economic performance, in light of the global economic crisis, has shown the EU that it will not be a burden but rather, “a catalyst for the EU’s growth.

“We’re doing relatively well in terms of the global economic meltdown. The EU is still our major trading partner but we’ve diversified into trade relations with our neighbours as well.”

He noted that the German finance minister recently noted that there may be a time in the future when the EU regrets not having Turkey as a member.

Asked about Turkey’s relations with its Kurdish minority, he said there have been some promising developments. “There are high hopes with talks going on between the BDP (party associated with Kurdish rights) and the PKK (whose leader is jailed in Turkey) so I hope that this is one of the important chances to settle the issue and have armistice. Everyone is very much in favour of the process.”

When it comes to press freedom, he acknowledged the system isn’t perfect but said “most” of the journalists in jail in Turkey aren’t there because of something they reported but rather because of “terrorist activities” such as “wounding and killing security officers” or being involved in such activities.

“Portraying this as a simplistic freedom of speech issue isn’t the correct way to portray it,” he said. “Everyone writes everything in Turkey. There is no taboo that can’t be discussed anymore and this is a good thing.”

He said there can always be improvements to the judicial system — the fifth reform package is before parliament and it will give more protection to journalists. Some, he said, who are not in jail for terrorist activities, may then be released.

via Turkey eager for admittance to European Union.