Becoming aware of the EU truth

Our 60 years of democracy is full of ups and downs in which there were three military coups. Our secular practices were protected by the use of force. Still, as a country with limited economic development but with a middle-class and rapid urbanization we have made significant advances in democracy and human rights.

At a time when the United States wishes to democratize the entire Islamic world in a strategic objective as part of its fight against terrorism and which cites Turkey as an example, what does this German claim that we cannot become a democracy mean?

The world owes Anglo-Saxons a debt of gratitude for the birth of democracy as a political regime. Later, the French Revolution was responsible for the dissemination of these democratic ideals all over Europe. The setting up of democracy in Germany happened much later. Today’s fine-working German democracy was established after a terrible war and the Holocaust during the subsequent occupation of the United States and its allies. So how can German political parties become the standard bearers and claim that we cannot adapt to democracy because we are Muslims, when the founder of modern democracy, Britain, does not say the same?

In this context, one is reminded of another Dr. Hulsse statement, namely, that "Turkey is Europe’s or Germany’s "other."

We seldom use this term correctly. We sometimes describe everyone else as the "other." However, this is not true. The "other" is defined by reflecting or transferring all characteristics that one finds unsuitable for its own self- respect, values or identity onto a target group. For example, if Germany has suffered a lot from what happened in the near past and believes that all these tragedies occurred because they lacked democracy, the country may deflect this characteristic, of which it finds incompatible with how it defines itself, onto another, which in this instance, of course, is Turkey. By saying that Islam and consequently Turkey cannot become democratic is to may make itself believe that Christian Germany has always been inherently democratic.

The Hamburg Oriental Institutes’ studies are very interesting in this respect. A "researcher" called Teresa Hoffman has been working for years to prove that Armenians, with some Turks, suffered genocide. This way she is trying to show that the first genocide in the modern age was perpetrated by Turks, and that even Hitler was so impressed that he undertook the Jewish Holocaust. In other words, the responsibility of the Holocaust is reflected on to the "other" — Turkey.

For a long time the Kurdish issue was addressed in this context. It was emphasized constantly that the Turks, with the same racist hatred that made them commit genocide on Armenians, were now doing the same to the Kurds. This deflects German anti-Semitism onto Turks.

The latest research topic by President of the Institute Udo Steinbach, whose CV is hidden from all prying eyes, is how Kemalism is incompatible with democracy. Steinbach defines the Kemalists’ (The Turkish Armed Forces’ (TCK) "extreme" stance on secularism and monopoly of power as an obstacle to democracy. In other words, when this Kemalist "pressure" is removed, Turkey will return to its original state of Islamic fanaticism and will be divided along ethnic lines. This thesis is not far removed from the one held by the CDU-CSU coalition.

In the light of the studies that influence the German political classes’ stance towards Turkey, the attitude of the coalition government of the SPD/Greens is beyond courageous and can only be defined as heroism. If the CDU and CSU comes to power in 2006, even if we receive a date to start the negotiations on Dec. 17, the negotiation process may be suspended.

Hulsse believes Turkey will never become an EU member until Europe (Germany) accepts us as Europeans. However, those who reflect their undesired characteristics onto others believe their target group will never change, or more appropriately, they believe we will never be like them. In order to resolve this problem, Germany has to normalize itself. In other words, it has to utilize this historic opportunity to stop defining us as the "other" and eradicate this deflection mechanism that has caused so many problems in the past.