SALON

Monday, Jun 17, 2013 8:15 PM UTC

Is Turkey ready to join the European Union?

A fragile economy and a wave of deadly protests have put its membership bid in jeopardy

By

Topics: International Business Times, Turkey, European Union, accession, Human Rights, economy, , , , , ,

Is Turkey ready to join the European Union?
This article originally appeared on International Business Times.

International Business Times When Yanos Gramatidis, the president of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, looks west from his homeland, he sees an economically ravaged European Union. To the east, he sees a fast-growing Turkey.

But what he doesn’t see are the deadly police protest crackdowns in the streets of Istanbul that have caused many to question whether Turkey is ready to join the bloc of European countries.

“The EU gave Turkey time for reforms before it can come in and live up to EU standards knowing this would take ages,” the Greek official told International Business Times on a recent afternoon in New York City. “But Turkey needs help.”

In other words, if the EU is concerned about the violence between anti-government protesters and police that has left as many as five dead and thousands injured then the best way for the 27-country political union to deal with that problem would be to accept Turkey as a member. That would give the EU the leverage necessary to force the Turkish authorities to show more respect for human rights and more restraint in the face of domestic protests. Such a course of action would offer the added advantage of letting Europe benefit from Turkey’s economic vitality.

Gramatidis’ view is shared by many. European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton vowed in a statement last week to continue negotiating with Turkey to join the bloc, despite deadly police crackdowns on anti-government protests in the country.

Egemen Bağiş, Turkey’s minister of EU affairs and chief negotiator in Turkey’s accession talks, called the country’s numerous naysayers “irresponsible” and praised Ashton for her “reasonable” stance.

“No one should exceed their limits by accusing the Republic of Turkey of using violence,” he said in a statement released on Monday. “Such allegations by European politicians and especially by countries whose own records are tarnished in this respect are unacceptable.”

Though many who champion Turkish accession point to the country’s recent economic growth in recent years, which has sharply outpaced debt-choked Europe, now in its 19th month of recession, some economists say Turkey’s gross domestic product has been “inconsistent.” In the last four years, the country peaked at 6.69 percent growth in late 2009, but has since dipped far lower, most recently reporting a 1.6 percent climb in the first quarter of 2013, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute.

“I do not believe the EU would admit Turkey because of its recent (yet fragile) economic strength,” Şevin Ekinci, the founder of the Istanbul-based Ekinci Economics Consulting, told IBTimes in an email. “The first criterion that new EU member states has to satisfy is to achieve stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.”

He said “several parts of this criterion” should be given pause for concern given the government’s reaction to the recent protests.

“[The current regime] is destroying Turkey’s way into the EU,” Hannes Swoboda, an Austrian social democrat who has sat in the EU parliament since 1996, told IBTimes in a phone interview.

Plus, Turkey’s economic strength would do little to alleviate Europe’s financial woes: Its economy isn’t big enough to bail out the EU’s struggling member states, and the EU, though 17 members use the common euro currency, is not a monetary union.

turkey-gdp-growth

Photo: Trading EconomicsEconomists say Turkey has had strong, but inconsistent, growth in the years since the Great Recession.

“This is a long-term project – we’re not an economic union, we’re a political union,” Swoboda said. “There are so many problems Turkey has to solve before it can join the EU.”

No doubt, Turkey and the EU are a good match, though the country must catch up to Europe’s standard for human rights before it can become a full member, said Istanbul-based economist Emre Deliveli.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen to Turkey in the next 10 days, let alone the next 10 years,” Deliveli told IBTimes in a phone interview. “Even the most optimistic people say the earliest it would be admitted is 2022, the 100th year of the Turkish republic.”

He predicted that EU members like France and Germany, which have long opposed Turkish entry and vowed to hold referenda to determine whether to change that stance, would budge in nine years, when the country’s celebrations of its centennial as a secular state would make accession more palatable to voters that might be wary of a majority Muslim nation.

“They could do it as a gesture to Turkey,” Deliveli said.

Ekinci disagreed.

“I would not hesitate to say that Turkey’s membership would fundamentally change the identity of Europe,” he said. “Turkey is a Muslim country, which would bring a vague cultural difference within the Union that includes all Christendom. For this reason I believe most EU member states are reluctant to admit Turkey as a member.”

For now, Ashton said further progress on Turkey’s accession will rely on an adherence to the European Court of Human Rights’ standards for dealing with protesters.

“The EU is fully committed to reinforcing dialog with Turkey on these issues,” Ashton said, “and so to making further progress within Turkey’s EU accession process.”

More International Business Times

Alexander C. Kaufman

More Alexander C. Kaufman.

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Sponsored Post

  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
    fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou


    Image credit: Getty

  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
    fs.usda.gov/conf


    Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf

  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
    The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
    fs.usda.gov/hmnf


    Image credit: umich.edu

  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
    fs.usda.gov/mnf


    Image credit: Getty

  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
    fs.usda.gov/gwj


    Image credit: wikipedia.org

  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
    floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm


    Image credit: floridastateparks.org

  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
    fs.usda.gov/kaibab


    Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad

  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Related Videos

Comments

 9 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "The Joker": Laughing at life's deepest sorrows