Arm-wrestling in the EU square

The government, on the other hand, is quite determined.

The government not only wants the package to remain unchanged but also it prefers to have the package legislated prior to the MGK meeting so that it will not be delayed.

I wonder why.

According to what I hear from officials that have been closely following the developments, this package has become a symbol. They say that no significant changes can be made in the package because:

1. IT CONTAINS NO HAZARDOUS ARTICLES:

Before everything else the government believes that the changes envisaged by this package would not be hazardous at all especially regarding separatism.

They point out that if, for example the terrorism threat reappears after the abolition of Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, harsher measures can promptly be taken.

They say that there would be no danger regarding Kurdish broadcasting on private TV channels either since adequate technical and legal guarantees would be obtained.

To sum up, they stress that with a few minor exceptions the package complies with the international norms and that no concessions can be made on these issues.

2. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE SEEMED TO HAVE BOWED TO THE MILITARY:

The contents of this package have been discussed with the ministries concerned and with the military on various occasions, their views have been obtained and, more importantly, all the details of the package have been explained both to the EU Commission and to the ambassadors of the EU countries.

If a change were to be made in the package now that would bolster the EU circles’ conviction that in Turkey the government bows down when the military makes demands. They stress that this would make the EU more strongly convinced that in Turkey the military must be answerable to the civilian authority.

Is a power struggle taking place via the EU?
Many an observer believe that the contents of the sixth package and the method to be used for its approval — its clearing the MGK, especially — is being perceived by the clearest example of an arm-wrestling, that is, of a power struggle. They expect to see that kind of tug-of-war many more times in the course of the EU process.

If the goverment amends the sixth package due to the criticism the military directed at it in public, both the public in Turkey and the EU circles will come to see that as "the military’s superiority over the civilians". The military’s "weight" will increase. That will create the impression that though the AK Party has formed the government the AK Party has not been able to come to power.

In other words the military will be deemed to have won the arm-wrestling match.

Meanwhile, the AK Party intends, by resisting on this issue, the prestige it has gained in the EU circles when the U.S. troop deployment in Turkey motion was rejected by Parliament. The EU card is obviously the least risky and most powerful card the AK Party can possibly play in the face of the military/

Unfortunately things have reached this point.

This cannot be achieved by beating the military
However, Turkey must join the EU not by beating the military but together with the military. The AK Party will be the winner to the extent that it develops its dialogue and the mechanisms of consultancy.

The military, meanwhile, must come to terms with the difference between "giving its opinion" and "vetoing" the steps the government wants to take. If a government makes a move to do what is internationally right, assuming the responsibility, one can only increase the tension by blocking its path by making in public the kind of statements that give the impression that one is challenging the government.

Turkey’s EU goal is too important to be missed because of artificial, sterile quarrels.