Turkey & the EU

[Donald Keogh]

See article Professor Sylvie Goulard
The Eu and Turkey: Partners or gladiators.

www.cafebabel.com

Proffesor Goulard asserts that the EU is a space of cooperation and not a circus arena.
Her analysis of Cyprus in relation to the EU and Turkey is somewhat euro-centric and reinforces the notion that the internationalisation of the 'Cyprus problem' in favour of the Greek Cypriots gives rise to certain misconceptions.


The reunification of the |German nation, and the independance of the Baltic states say little about a small country with a post colonial history, strategically placed in the east Mediterrannean basin. The fictitious notion that there is today only one state and one government on the island hampers the possibility of a future settlement, despite the ongoing attempts of the EU and UN to find a solution.

Turkey is pilloried for not recognising the Rep. of Cyprus whilst the international community, at the behest of the Greek Cypriot government ensure the North Cypriot state suffers embargoes of their trade, communications and diplomatic relations. Talkey's accession talks were widely linked to the Cyprus issue whilst the Rep. of Cyprus's entry were not. It seems incumbent on the Greek Cypriot administration to expect Turkey to deliver the goods whilst ensuring North Cyprus is kept in absolute isolation.

Professor Goulard rightly points out, that the path to reconcilation and peace are not always the straightest. Turkey will in all probability eventually recognise the Rep. of Cyprus, but only when the respective administrations come to some form of internationally recognised agreement.

Closer economic links between Turkey and the EU may well dampen the recent surge in nationalism. The author, Orhan Pamuk, who strongly supported Turkey's accession talks, will feel some empathy with his Greek Cypriot namesake, the filmmaker Antonis Angastiniotis.

In it's short 45 years of existence, Cyprus one of the smallest countries within the Union has overseen the destruction of the republic and it's constitution, ethnic cleansing, the attempted annexation of the island to Greece and the possibility of permanent division.

Fortunately the EU is an economic community promoting peace, the niceties of historians, authors and filmmakers, whilst pertinent, should not blur the fact, that Turkey's interests in Europe are primarily business, as opposed to what increasingly seems, Europe's emotional attachment.

[brother]

Interesting write up but what will it achieve at the moment.