Turkey and the EU

Turkey and the EU

While Turkey is taking a detour in its
membership to the European Union, a polarization between the
administrators of Turkey can be seen.

According to the discussions, in Turkey, instead
of the actual structure of the EU and pros and cons of Turkey with
respect to this structure; the support and opposition to the EU
constitutes the issue. Neither supporters nor opponents can explain
the reasons for their attitudes in a logical way. EU supporters
contrast the $15,000-$20,000 per capita income found in EU member
countries to Turkey where millions of people suffer from famine and
poverty, while opponents indicate that they are under the threat of
losing their identity. Money is on one side and identity is on the
other side. The questions of Ahmet Unsal in his article entitled
“EU: What kind of institutionalization?” are as follows: Will the
EU be a confederation of nation-states or will it transform into a
politically powerful integrated federation. Will it be a nations’
Europe, citizens’ Europe or regions’ Europe? Which one will reign,
ethnic national or democratic national understanding? Is it a
liberal Europe based on the trade integration and social
institutionalization in harmony with this integration, or a social
Europe where regulation exists and social solidarity institutions
compatible with this regulation restrains the trade economy. Will
it be a monopolist Europe that has capital, wealth and power to
call the shots, or a Europe of freedoms that will balance the
struggles for participation, solidarity, equality and
democracy.

Many European Community institutions have been
established in our universities since 1987 and many NGOs activities
are related to the EU issue. The answers to these questions are not
obvious yet.

The disappearance of democracy both in European
countries and in Turkey is the main point to deal with. In the
past, there was an opinion that military interventions were
threatening democracy but nowadays it is said that democracy is out
of control and under the threat of irresponsible investment.

Nobel prize winning author Gunter Grass
complains that democracy is in danger in Europe. According to him:
“A social injustice is being aspired to in the name of
globalization. Not only in Germany but also in all of Europe,
Parliaments have arrived at the position where they cannot take
decisions without the permission of industrialists. It is
impossible to take a decision in favor of the society and the
worker in a Parliament where businessmen are more involved. It is
necessary to enable politics to return to the Parliament. The voter
is apoliticized saying `the man I vote for is not visible, he is
the representative of businessmen.’ It is necessary for the society
to have confidence in those who represent it.”

It is necessary to take these explanations into
consideration. Following the September 2002 elections in Germany,
there will not be a left power except England and Sweden. According
to the research, 71 percent of the society in Germany, 51 percent
in France, 44 percent in England and 44 percent in Italy are
pessimistic towards the present and future conditions of their
countries.

Does the situation differ from others in Turkey?
Turkish society is reported to be the unhappiest. Every minute,
Turkey pays TL 113 billion in interest. In the last 20 years, $200
billion has been paid in interest. The Treasury has revealed the
revenues and expenses of the first five months of this year.
Between January and May TL 18.5 quadrillion was paid in interest
and TL 21.2 quadrillion was paid in salaries to government
employees, to the military and sundries. TL 39.7 quadrillion was
spent in total. In the same period, the total amount of money
received from taxes and other sources totalled TL 27.5 quadrillion.
Briefly, the deficit in the first five months is TL 12.2
quadrillion.

Nobod y talks about this situation, the interest
is shackled in Turkey and all the things have been transformed into
a simulation or an image. They have squeezed the economy into a
foreign exchange-interest-stock exchange triangle and they want us
not to talk and not to cause the destruction of this triangle.

This situation affects the EU discussions in
Turkey. The people do not believe that they can carry out any job
in this land. They believe that they can find employment if the EU
removes the restraints. From the perspective of investment, revenue
and stock exchange problems could be solved by the acceleration of
the EU process and the consequent $7-8 billion increase in foreign
investment. Some people are having identity and belief problems and
regard the EU as an `oxygen tent.’ Turkey expects things to fall
into its lap without doing anything about it itself.

Fathers’ day was celebrated the previous week.
Before this celebration it was reported by security officials that
children as young as four were becoming juvenile delinquents. The
results of statistical research into 4-18 year-olds, that took
place over the first five months of this year, remind us of what
kind of a country we live in. According to the research, 11 four
year-olds, 11 six year-olds and four 7-8 year-olds were involved in
pickpocketting offenses. Some 97 children under the age of 10, were
involved in larceny and battery offenses. Some 567 17-18 year-olds
were involved in other offenses ranging from committing homicide to
armed robbery.

Turkey being proud of celebrating the National
sovereignty and Children’s Day on April 23, attempts to be a model
of civilization to the world. Does the EU want to be integrated
with Turkey?

Do not talk about the age rate of offenses,
shackled interest, millions of people suffering from famine and
poverty, how to pay $200 billion in foreign and domestic debt and
the future of approximately 15 million students. What will we talk
about, then? We should talk about celebrities having fun in Laila
[a popular Istanbul nightclub], the person who is succeeding in the
Big Brother T.V. program and sometimes the question of whether or
not to integrate into the EU.

The manner in which developments are occurring
in Turkey leaves little room for optimism.

To read more about Turkey, please visit

Abhaber.