The new Turkish world project, constructed by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has covered a great distance towards integration with the West. The Turks, who built cities and spread cultures in Europe for 400 years, are long-distance runners in European Union (EU) history. The political understanding, whose application was first made in 1959, according to conditions of the time, had a vision. Successive governments did not take the EU seriously. Lack of ambition put Turkey behind those who discovered the EU, much later. Our country, stumbling and struggling along on the issue of democracy, has nevertheless arrived at the present day, despite some obstacles on the way. We have tackled the problems in our East [region], which seemed unsolvable. Turkey, which is an example to the Third World countries and Muslims, is also a “positive role model” in the region due to Ataturk’s reforms. Even Al-Jazeera said: “Turkey will represent the Muslim world in the EU.” Turkey is also the country closest to catching up with a complete democratic lifestyle and legal system as a result of its democratic culture. I expect full freedom of thought in the laws and in life. Even the pessimistic German media, as the “Die Presse,” in reply to the question, “is Turkey a risk or an opportunity? said, “good developments might occur in the long run.” Will the Ankara Agreement expand in a way to include Cyprus before negotiations start? What will happen if such a condition is not accepted? The EU admitted the Greek Cypriots, whose borders are not definite, contrary to its constitution. Now they want Turkey to correct their wrong. Why then has the EU, based on the legal principles of Western democracy, acted against the law? They are the ones who paved the way for Greek Cyprus’ intransigence. The Turks declared their goodwill to the world through the Annan Plan. Why then do we have to make more concessions? How will the open-ended issue be solved? The German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has declared that it will put the EU and Turkey at the center of the 2006 elections. Those conservatives, who do not know what to conserve, have decided to conserve their racist roots. Among other ill-intentioned countries, France and Austria, have declared that they will hold referenda. Political leaders formed this political partnership without asking the opinions of their people while they were forming the union. What does it mean asking the people now? Has it just come to their minds? Isn’t it a situation that overlaps with the privileged partnership? Because open-ended has never been mentioned to any other country except Turkey. The German conservatives have been consoling their supporters by saying that the situation, in any case, did not even allow full privileged partnership. The thing mostly talked about by EU countries is money. All right. Why then are these countries in such a hurry to make the Iron Curtain countries, which were hostile until recently, develop? Are the East Germans, who loathed Westerners, worth the money spent on them? Or have they become the focus of social problems? Germany is the number one donor to the EU budget. It is facing an economic crisis within and its social security system has collapsed. Let’s look at who receives the largest share from the budget. Rich Spain (!) is number one with 8. 73 billion euros. Then comes Portugal. Greece receives 3. 37 billion euros and the last is Ireland. Spain’s income per capita is 18,200 euros; in Portugal it is 12,500 euros; and 13,900 euros in Greece. I mean the money does not go the poor. Poland, the so-called poorest country has an income per capita of 4,800 euros. Germany is making selfish energy-saving investments here. The Turks will receive nothing from the EU budget until 2014! Now the debate is on whether most of the money should be spent on the regions or on researches. 26 billion euros is the amount foreseen for researches until 2013. Europe, already lagging behind the United States in this area, spends 40 percent of its budget on agriculture and farmers. It has set aside 150 billion euros for poor countries, that will join the Union in the next seven years. The French have found something called the triple formula: 78: 18: 4. That is 78 billion for poor countries, 18 billion for rivalry and labor power in the regions and 4 billion for cross-border problems. It is said that the EU project is Turkey’s civilization project; however, if our development is to be left only to the EU, then this should not be questioned. The EU should create a development model during the negotiation process and a path to development should be discovered as soon as possible. If the EU is considered a tool for development, this is a serious mistake. What we need to do is seek the role of a global actor. With no alternatives. If you think you are an alternative to Western lifestyle and spirit, go for it, increase your prosperity level. 12.22.2004
letter:Dear Ms. Sevindi, i liked your witty statement about German christian democrates. And you are fully right in that economic (and other) development will not be achieved by solely relying on the European Union. There will be and, on a low level, still is some financial help, but this is not the essential thing. We have this vast and complicated history of wars and discussions, the essence of which is quite simple in a way, but not easily found in these mountains of events and books. It helps much to compare things with the Ottoman stile, which is comparatively much more simple in outfit. Then, you may see the similarity of Christianity and Islam, and that leads to praise and jubilation for the Europeans that tricked and kicked them out of the centers of politics, that is, for the Germanic warriors and aristocrates of the early middle ages and, a millennium later, Atatürk. Now, we imagine we are really noble democrates, but we are better understood if interpreted as warriors that have become so powerful that they are struck with horror about themselves. Europe is about autonomy – that is by far the most important thing to find in all that quarrels; finally, you must not know much more. It is the mightiest magic of all and has enabled us to shackle the world. Including ourselves. The Ottomans not only managed to ally with sunnitic Islam, but also to eliminate the Turkish aristocracy. The power got monopolized. Much was conserved. Not much remained. I’m so sorry when i imagine Abdulhamid finding out that nothing was left. I imagine, he was a good man. People were as good and bad as everywhere, of course. But also of course, it had not been a multiculti paradise (likely, i may accept the aim), but a poor apartheid system that gathered wealth by raids and wars, that began to twindle, when the gains became poor. Yes, Turkish tribes brought Anatolia back to Europe, probably no other kind of people than Central Asian Muslims could have done this (maybe i should explain this another time). And Europe has learned some things from them. Now, you have this precious land, and should be anxious not to destroy it ecologically or otherwise. Renaissance and most of what followed have been allowed to arise by the political autonomy of a military elite. Indeed, the strongly misogynous church had been forced (and paid) to accept their unmarried daughters and widows. The emperors dared to give autonomy to the cities in order to weaken the principalities, but that created even more autonomy, that further created autonomy, people became keen to become experts with or without permission other than that of other experts. If autonomous, you can do everything you can – it is not easily imaginable in a traditional context, not even for a sultan. But it has nothing to do with a superior moral. When we had destructed Europe once again and found ourselves with the atomic bomb, we found it urgent to try another game. Autonomy means also plurality, but a plurality of nationalisms, that inherently are bound to follow a monotheistic (monopolizing) political philosophy, means war, external or civil or both. That’s what the European Union is about: To make a polytopic unity of nations, and how to do this without violating them and thus provoking trouble. While there are certainly different opinions, few of our people will feel that the eastern nations had been hostile ones. With some, we may have specific disputes in Germany, but all in all, we think that communist gouvernments had been hostile, but we wanted peaceful relations with these too. We have our Marx, Engels and Thälmann streets too. We love Russion music, literature, arts, wodka, some love the popular way of behaviour that is represented by Gorbachev. It is not unpopular to give private money for street children in Russia or else, the restauration of an old, devasteted church, or the rescue of bird refuges in the Volga delta. We know each other; we damaged Russia, and Russians damaged Germany. You may belong to the club, if you speak frankly about what you did to other Europeans and what they did to you – good as well as bad; if you beg for money, that you need, for one or the other understandable, but altruistic purpose (say, nature and culture rescue attemps, humanitarian ones). Contact an organization with related purposes, probably they will try to help you and the case, the problem will become known to some people. It is important to be known and to know. In part, it may be a legacy of the Ottomans, that Turkey is less known in most aspects than any other big and most smaller countries in Europe – for centuries, they were not interested in the infidels, thus people were left alone with anti-Ottoman propaganda and lack of knowledge. And i suspect that a similar attitude may exist still today. It may be understandable to some degree, but it does’nt help. Given the number of centuries of Turkish presence in Europe, much too many people still do’nt know, if you belong to the club (that is not a Christian, but a European one) or not. We are still at the starting point; so it would probably make sense to start. Sing, shout, beg, make a peaceful revolution, fly to the moon or make the Ararat a world natural heritage. Whatsoever, if you want to be present, be present. It is astonishing, that so little is known about wildlife in Turkey. It is, or was, one of the richest in Europe, relating to modern concepts like biodiversity, but also romanticism (which represents the heart in much of Europe), and probably instrumental in tourism, if carefully managed. Austrians and Swiss do not know anything about Turkish chamois, do you? Why do’nt we know anything about the efforts to protect the natural heritage, if there are any; and if not, why not? Tourism and sports and pop music have been very useful to improve knowledge and feelings towards Turkey. The Mevlevi Dervishes were in Germany, exhibitions concerning the Hittite Empire and Troy, some folklore groups, and other artists. Such events, bigger as well as smaller ones, even very small ones, are important. Imams coming in from Turkey should be willing and free to discuss any topic with their Christian counterparts. Europe should hear more about Turkish writers, architects, botanists, painters, historians, dancers, dervishes, industrialists, confectioners and so on. Of course, those people can not tour all the time in that big Union, so it would be useful to make films and features for television, radio or cinema, to translate books etc. And remember, that Europe is a very exclusive club. A club of experienced warriors. As you know (or should know), old warriors may deeply respect their (former) enemies; they know, how difficult and dangerous it was to fight, they know about their respective fears, losses, braveness, and skills. There is nothing to hide. The Ottomans were such warriors too, also Atatürk was; it must be voiced, thus, that we were enemies. And allies, at some time or the other. The Turks may be somewhat traumatized, but what do you think about Greeks, Germans, French, Poles, Croats, Russians? Turks and Kurds are in no way unique. And be aware: Old warriors should not try to hide their wounds nor their deeds nor their sorrow nor their pain, their knowledge and, of course, pride. I would like Turkey to join our club. First, she would have to fully understand, what autonomy means. She does not yet – the adultery-criminalization-attempt shocked all her supporters deeply and convinced especially women to oppose the “invasion of Islamic Law”. A big country like France was turned around. All we knew about prozelytizing Alevite children in schools and arresting deputies for using the wrong language came up to our minds and remembered us, that there is no multiculti play, nor an understanding of the meaning and crucial importance of autonomy, or the dangers of nationalism and how to tame it. We understood, that we would need precautions. Do’nt take it personally, it is’nt. If Turkey wants to play globally, her people will need mental and institutional autonomies, and she needs to be backed by a strategic hinterland, to be hold by an anchor. And Europe needs her right arm to firmly embrace Russia (perhaps in some kind of privileged partnership) and to shake hands with the “Islamic World” at times. So do’nt worry about the final success, simply focus on the hows. Sincerely Hans-Peter Geissen, Koblenz, Germany