EU Commission Didnt Fully Evaluate Turkey

The report was formally announced Wednesday, October 9. Stating that Turkey has not fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria in full, the European Union decided to keep Turkey out of membership talks.

"The crucial moment will come on December 12-13"

"There are many political shortcomings and hitches in Turkey. But when you consider the legacies and inheritance of this country, the reforms passed by government on August 3 are revolutionary. The decisions made on August 3, have not been sufficiently evaluated in the report," said academician Cengiz Aktar from the Galatasaray University. Aktar is one of the founders of the "Europe Movement 2002."

Aktar added that the commission's report would not a hundred percent influence the EU Council's decisions, and said that this year's report was not any different from the reports that have been published annually in the last five years. Aktar also drew attention to the fact that very little time is left for the Copenhagen Summit:

"It's the council, not the commission, that will decide on Turkey's accession negotiation talks; the presidents and prime ministers of 15 member countries.

The council does not have to fully implement the commission's recommendations. The crucial moment will come on December 12-13 in Copenhagen."

"The EU advocates have a lot to do"

Aktar stressed that the EU advocates in Turkey have to play an important role so that the EU-membership process is not negatively affected from this report.

"The most important thing to be done is intensifying the lobbying activities in European countries and keeping the EU-membership on the agenda during the elections campaign," said Aktar.

"The report does not include something new"

Aktar commented on the Progress Report, Turkey's EU membership and the November 3 general elections process:

* This is the fifth report about Turkey. A report for Turkey has been published annually since 1988. This report takes a photograph of how much Turkey, and other candidate nations, have fulfilled the candidacy criteria.

* This year's report is not any different from the past reports. For it does not include a positive recommendation about the most important issue, that is: the next phase of Turkey's candidacy. It only states that Turkey is insufficient in fulfilling the Copenhagen political criteria and thus it is not possible to include this country in accession negotiation talks.

"December 12-13 is important"

* Considering these, the commission's evaluation is both right, and wrong. It is right because there are many political shortcomings and hitches in Turkey. However, when you consider the legacies and inheritance of this country, the reforms passed by government on August 3 are revolutionary.

* The decisions made on August 3, have not been sufficiently evaluated in the report. Secondly, it is the council, and not the commission that will decide on Turkey's accession negotiation talks; the presidents and prime ministers of 15 member countries. The council does not have to fully implement the commission's recommendations.

* The crucial moment will come on December 12-13 at the Copenhagen Summit that will end Denmark's EU presidency.

The lobbying activities in Europe have to intensify

* When all these are considered, assuming that we are right in our demand, there are many things we should urgently do.

* First of all, we need to tell the European politicians, and especially the politicians of influential countries like France and Germany, about the importance of the reforms passed on August 3. We need to make them understand that these reforms represent a strong political willpower.

Accordingly, we need to explain them that Turkey deserves to pursue with the membership preparation process and the negotiations process together with the other 12 candidate nations.

* The lobbying activities in Europe are weak. The Turkish Businessman and Industrialists Association (TUSIAD) and the Economic Development Foundation (IKV) are spending some effort. The "Europe Movement 2002" also has certain initiatives. The Kurdish groups put some pressure too. They are also trying to tell Europe how important the reforms of August 3 are. But all these are not enough. We need to be more active.

* Moreover, we need to oversee that the laws, constitutional regulations and EU reforms passed since last fall, are fully implemented in Turkey. We also need to keep Turkey's EU membership on the agenda during the elections campaign.

* And thirdly, the people who believe that Turkey has a future in the EU, should cast their votes accordingly at the November 3 general elections. This report has come in very handy for the anti-EU circles. The election has already been affected in such a way to benefit the anti-Europe parties. (BB/EA/NM)