Over the weekend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrapped up what seemed to be a successful state visit to Paris. A scratch beneath the surface, however, shows that despite the niceties, it was anything but warm or fruitful.
For starters, angry protestors greeted Erdogan at the gates of the Elysee Palace, accusing him of human rights abuses back home. The accusations refer, of course, to the massive crackdowns that engulfed Turkey after the failed coup attempt of July 2016. Erdogan has been accused of sacking around 140,000 people and arresting another 55,000. For most of these individuals, their only crimes are to have indulged in alleged anti-government activities, held anti-government views, or had affiliations with the outspoken US-based Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen.
Once inside the Elysee, Erdogan was bluntly confronted by his host, President Emmanuel Macron, who basically told him to forget about Turkey’s eternal hope of joining the EU. “I’d be lying if I said we could open new chapters,” said Macron, adding that recent developments in Turkey “do not allow any progress.” Sulking, Erdogan snapped that Turkey had already waited too long and was unwilling to wait any longer.
This puts an end — almost once and for all — to Erdogan’s European ambition, which has been a cornerstone of his foreign policy ever since the rise of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) back in 2003. Seeing the writing on the wall, he has been rapidly investing time and effort in building relations elsewhere – in Sudan, Somalia, Chad, and throughout the Arab and Muslim Worlds.
Erdogan once argued that an economically successful Muslim state like Turkey would both enrich and empower Europe. As recently as last October, he was quoted as saying: “A Europe without Turkey will only reach isolation, desperation and civil strife. Turkey does not need Europe. Europe is the one that is in need (of Turkey).”
Within the EU, however, opinion has always been sharply divided on what to do with Turkey’s application, which has been lagging since 2005. Some countries, including Britain, argued that joining the EU would force the Turks to reform from within, to democratize, and to adhere to European values and principles, in a way similar to what had happened with former Soviet satellite states on joining the EU.
EU membership would revamp the Turkish judiciary, they argued, curb the powers of Turkish intelligence, and empower civil society. The benchmark would be how much Turkey adhered to the rules of the Copenhagen Criteria, which stipulate, among other things, the stability of state institutions, democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, protection for minorities and a functioning market economy.
Although Turkey became eligible for EU membership back in 1997 and abolished the death penalty in 2004 as Erdogan campaigned for accession, its track record since then has been rather unimpressive, by European standards, especially after Erdogan’s crackdown against Gazi Park protestors in 2013 and the nationwide purge of 2016.
Many in Europe have been lukewarm, at best, about the prospect of welcoming an additional 80 million Muslims into Europe, while the elephant in the room remains the issue of Turkish Cyprus, occupied by the Turkish Army since 1974. The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus — a member of the EU since 2004 — would never allow Turkey’s bid to pass before that issue is settled.
Some believe, however, that the problem is more with Erdogan himself than with the Turkish Republic. Once hailed and admired throughout the world as the champion of moderate Islam, his ambitions have gotten the better of him, earning him many enemies over the past few years.
His alliance with Iran has been highly problematic, and so has his sponsorship of groups recognized internationally as “terrorist organizations,” including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Last April, he staged a controversial referendum, greatly empowering the Turkish presidency at the expense of other branches of government. That prompted German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel to say that Turkey would never join the EU so long as Erdogan remained in power: Gabriel noted that “the Turkish Government and Erdogan are moving fast away from everything that Europe stands for.”
Last month, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov declared: “Let’s leave behind the hypocrisy about Turkey’s membership process.” He called for a special partnership deal instead, echoing former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who once suggested a “privileged partnership” between Turkey and the EU – one which Erdogan regarded as a polite way of saying “second-class membership.”
Once hailed and admired throughout the world as the champion of moderate Islam, Erdogan’s ambitions have gotten the better of him, earning him many enemies over the past few years
Some officials at the EU are of the view that the Turkish issue has occupied them for far too long, and that it should be put aside in favor of applications from other countries such as Albania, Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia.
Smarting from Macron’s rebuttal, Erdogan has taken the opportunity to cuddle up closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, knowing that by doing so he irks other NATO member states. The Turkish leader is already furious with the United States, not least over Donald Trump’s support for Syrian and Iraqi Kurds, who hope to create a Kurdish enclave on his borders with Syria.
Not only has Trump ignored Erdogan’s plea to stop arming the Kurds, but plans are underway to increase membership of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an all-Kurdish army, from 35,000 to 40,000. Putin, meanwhile, has been largely accommodating – he has let Erdogan’s forces march deep into Syrian territory to prevent towns from being overrun by the Kurds, and has agreed not to invite any Kurdish figures remotely associated with the PKK to Syrian peace talks in Sochi later this month – a personal favor to Erdogan, no doubt.
In April, the EU will rule on whether or not Turkey fits the Copenhagen Criteria. If the report is negative, which is highly probable, the way will be paved for a firm, strategic, and potentially fiendish Turkish-Russian alliance — one that might last for a very long time.
Hypocrites they are!
When sisi of egypt is a hero for european governments yes erdogan is a dictator
Erdogan!! you live in hearts of the people. Please don’t take these fake memberships. Living in hearts is worth more than living in EUROPE.
Daniyal Gardezi i not only foresee complete take over by Islam in this century but also a majority of black people coming to Europe. afterwards it will most likely be brownish all around. surely you must know how.
Kerry G. Antonio you must be dreaming in daylight. Erdogan is no Khadafi nor Saddam who led a one man show in a one party system whereas Turkey is a democracy with multi party system. Turkey is not Erdogan its the AKP. even if he goes maybe a better one will replace him.
At the end it’s all about religion.
After committing suicide by killing 120,000,000 or their own in mere 31 years 1914-45, and allegedly 6,000,000 of another race, the Europeans have realized there is something wrong with them. That is why they have stopped having children so as to no more pollute the planet with their types.
Plus the are urinating in their pants out of fear that Asians, Africans they looted for 250 years are sharpening their knives in the wings. Just as they "discovered" America, suddenly they have discovered Human Rights, in the vain hope that the rising people will have mercy on them now that the shoe is on the other foot.
Too little, too late I would say. Do you not agree.
With whites below replenishment, African, Asians soon will have a land without people, for a people without land. A win-win for all.
Europe is now the doormat of the world.
European peoples are being sacrificed by their leaders, Makrel, Macaroni and Ninkonpoop to the gods of destruction.
Your lovely lily white faces are being trampled and stepped on and whereas before you’d historically fight or protest for your freedom now you just take it and swallow it all.
WHY?
The Africans, Arabs and Asians are simply waiting for you to react, yet you do nothing?
They laugh at you and your foolish Human Rights and diversity/multiculturalism that they do not believe in.
They incredulously take your generous benefits, which they would NEVER get in their poop hole countries.
They see you as thanksgiving turkeys as slowly you move away from your cities to smaller enclaves, to your "Kosovos" where you will be like animals in a zoo ready to be butchered and enslaved.
If this is what you want, enjoy!!
Erdogan knows this and he will continue to play you all.
I see another Sadem Hussien and Kadifi down fall,and it will be Erdogan next on the chopping block . Erdogan got to big for his britches . Even Saudi Arabia ,Egypt ,United Emirates do not trust Erdogan and find him to be a threat . He is good at making enemies .
I agree with every word you wrote, but there is simply nothing you can do about it.
Europeans decided to shelve Christianity and not to have children. Only they have to blame for it. Islam will take over simply because Europe will be empty soon of native.
Get your drinks while you can.
If Europe wants to survive, stopping the islamic invasion is mandatory.
It is a lie to talk about moderate islam. Moderate islam does not exist.
Moderate muslims do exist, they are the people joining you to drink a whisky in a go go bar and tell you that it is ok because when it is dark, Allah can not see it.
Dangerous people always know exactly what is right or wrong because they can refer to Lenin, Mao, the Quran or the Bible. Good people have doubts.
Why beg to join a club today when you can own it tomorrow?
Macron, May, Merkel Junker, Rutte, Italy Gentiloni, Sommaruga, Löfven, Bettel, Sturgeon – all childless. They could not be building for a future.
Europe is below replenishment. No kids today means no army tomorrow. And with Muslim 5th column growing geometrically in Europe, Sultan Erdogan within a generation can lay another siege at Vienna, reversing the 1683 retreat. With China and Russia on Turkey’s back, and America isolanist what chance does Macron has?
Erdogan has clearly grown up, and sees the way the wind is blowing. Patience has virtue. Wait, just wait, Erdogan.
Nonsense. Possibly the largest Arab tribe in the ME, the Shammar, are long-term & steadfast SDF members as are the Sheitat and others Google Syrian Democratic Forces! Conflict footage very clearly shows Arab and Assyrian fighters in Raqqa. Furthermore, minority representation (and of women, too!) is constitutionally guaranteed.
The reality does not fit the Islamist narrative, but then, little does!
Turkey is just playing the EU and US at this time. I think it has already realized that it`s future lies in China and Russia. After all that is the future of the world centred around China and Turkey wants an early place at the table. There is and never was any bennefit to Turkey joining the EU and NATO has been a problem for the country since day one.
Only a small token ate Arabs or others.
SDF (if you like, the armed wing of the Syrian Democratic Council, which has in Riad Darar a notoriously independant Muslim Arab co-chair, a former Imam!) is certainly not "an all-Kurdish army"! Indeed, many of the fighters (and casualties) in the Raqqa and DeirEzzor campaigns were Arabs and "even" the YPG and YPJ have recruited Arabs for years.
Its would make little difference what Turkey did or didn’t do for they would never be permited to join the EU, for that was just a carrot they dangled in front of their nose to suck them into NATO,and the Turks fell for it…
Can we be real———not FAKE——-why does author dance around the obvious———–Turkey is slowly turning into a Wahabiist hell hole under the leadership of Edrogen. As for the concept of a moderate Islam suggested by this author————WRONG————Islam marches ti its own tune——–and moderate is not part of the package. As for the unstable Edrogen, I suggest he drop out of NATO and go all in with the Russians and Iran———BUT lets be clear about this move————the Russians and the Iranians know that the dude is unstable and will change direction in a nano second!!
Who’s Macron, BTW? The president chosen by 20% of the french people, right? Erdogan has an approval >50% as he demonstrated in his referendum…
Great countries, great leaders. Where is our leader in Europe???
"in a way similar to what had happened with former Soviet satellite states on joining the EU" like what country for example? Hungary? Poland? Romania? let me laugh, if you refer to these then Turkey is perfectly apt to enter tomorrow…