Who is going to change more?

There is vast amount of literature on how European civilization, included in what is referred to as the West, virulently makes those societies it perceives as different or beneath it, due sui generis cultural reasons, as "the other." Some of the target societies are outside Europe. With orientalism, Europe "scientifically" investigates such societies and those groups which are at the lower echelons of development with anthropology that were created during their age of imperialism. On the other hand, Europe targets societies within its borders too to become "the other" with its thousand year old anti-Semitism a case in point.

Western civilization advanced by utilizing the projection mechanism that freed itself from its unwanted characteristics that it denied having by transferring them onto societies it saw as different and base. Of course, the proper working of this mechanism directly depends on Europe having a superior power position. In other words, the target groups can’t make Europe "the other." Making one "the other is not a reciprocal process on an equal footing.

The extreme example of excluding the different one is related to genocide. After different and "base" Jews were exterminated during the Holocaust, Europe begun to argue that genocide was present throughout history and in every society, noting that Turkish "genocide" against the Armenians was the first modern example; it was purified from anti-semite hatred through acknowledging its past and the Turks who failed to acknowledge it were practicing the same exterminating policies against the Kurds. As a result, sinful Turks are kept away from the European Union formed by the purified Europeans.

In order for the Turks to enter the EU, they first need to confess their "sins." This is the transformation Europe is asking of Turkey that wasn’t asked of any other candidate. In other words, we need to free ourselves from Kemalism that is perceived as despotic as the Ottomans and "truly" establish democracy, forsake the persecution and the torture of minorities and give them their rights before being admitted into the EU.

Turkey has certain deficiencies regarding democracy. All societies targeted by Europe for this projection mechanism always have certain deficiencies compared to Europe. The problem is the basis of these deficiencies. If the deficiencies in Turkey are due to lack of development and progress, we can correct them through development. However, in European minds our deficiencies are due to our culture and/or our religion, namely, Islam, which is incompatible with civilization; in other words to our identity, hence unchangeable. That’s why they perceive the legal reforms as deception and hope that we never come to implement them.

Their belief that we are unchangeable is not incorrect in terms of their own psychology. Normally, individuals and societies have good and bad traits. This stems from the human condition. Europe, by projecting the unalterable evil parts of humanity onto us is depriving us of our humanity and identity. Then it says, "Change this and come back." Accordingly, they expect us to change aspects of our identity created through the projection onto us of Europe’s unwanted parts.

Under these conditions, if the healthy forces of Europe succeed in making us an EU member, this will be a first of historical dimensions that goes beyond the French-German reconciliation. The peace between two different civilizations, not between the two components of the same civilization, will not only bring about great strategic consequences. For "an other" like us to be admitted as one of them will necessitate more than simply us to change. It will be necessary for Europe to undergo a change of metamorphosis proportions through normalization which would reintegrate their good and bad parts. This is what the French are mainly frightened about.

Even if we enter the EU, the danger posed by "otherness" may continue. It is certain that this exclusion, which has been a part of the European culture for a millennium, will remain at the end of the negotiations, which will last 10 to 15 years. Even if we remained outside EU the danger would continue in this respect. Maybe this adventure will end and everyone will pursue their own destiny.