Danger with US, future with EU
Now, it is time for us to ask whether we would like to pursue our relations with the United States, which cannot help itself, as in the past. Is it possible to be a friend with a country which embraces the synthesis of power, injustice, ignorance and foolishness in such a charming way. What is more, a country which cannot help itself can help you? Can it protect you? Suppose that it protects, will it permanently contribute to you? Our relations with the U.S. does not seem advantageous for both moral or economic reasons.
The attack on Iraq by the U.S., claiming to have reached the most advanced point that a human mind can reach, gives a picture of insanity from whatever angle you look at it. As some claim, this war does not even serve for a secret economic outlook. Even if the U.S. seizes oil resources, it seems impossible that the U.S. cannot de facto rule Iraq and the region. The U.S. political and economic destiny after the war ends is unknown. Even if it wins the war, it is hard to win the peace. It is known that the Iraq war will not have a considerable effect on Turkey, the region or the world. There is a world ahead of us, a world where new data that we cannot dominate yet will be valid and even worse a "lawless" world in which people will find it difficult to make predictions.
First of all, the collapse of the Soviet Union and now the U.S.-led war in Iraq have shown that international law order after 1945 and regional balances ended and there is a requirement for new and different constructions. The European Union also benefited from these developments like many structures established after 1945. The Soviet Union’s collapse then expanded through the east of the continent after the parenthesis was closed in Yalta. One more process was completed and there will be a Europe in the future with some 600 million citizens which will include in particular the Balkan States and if Helsinki could return to its old mood, Turkey will also be involved. Currently, the West has been experiencing labour pains of being politicized.
Today, the U.S., which has given full support since 1945 and especially in 1950 when the EU’s foundation was in progress, has clearly hindered the attempts of the EU on the track to being politicized in a way that the U.S. wanted to mention this was a tactical support against communism. This uneasiness being felt for a long time came to the surface with the decision for an Iraq war, this set the EU countries and its prospective members at loggerheads and led to a contrast in opinions in the West that has never taken place since 1945.
Historical moments require historical decisions
In such a world, where should Turkey take part and with which countries should it act together with for a lasting partnership? It is not possible to be a partner with a super power, but it is very possible to be a small partner which is even deprived of intervening in its decisions like the middle-sized European countries. It is possible to be an equal partner with EU countries. The EU’s philosophy of establishment, its operating mechanisms, federal and local structures and now its new Constitution have paved the way for a real partnership. Today Turkish society’s and state’s permanence requires to examine the strategic partnership with the U.S. and in return for this, to take historical, brave and military decisions to be one of the political and military EU’s founders within its establishment stage.
In line with this goal, the persons and institutions, who will represent society, government and state should sit at the table at once with Germany and France. It is necessary that Turkey should tell Europe, which has experienced difficulties in its estimations to pinpoint its place among new formations, that a Europe without Turkey will face a danger of breakup, unlike the view proved by Giscard d’Estaing, Turkey should say that it will revive EU-Turkish relations which stopped for a long time and clearly voice all common issues at the table. Germany, Belgium, France and Luxemburg will come together at a high-level meeting in Brussels on April 29 in a bid to form the core of political Europe. Turkey should take the initiative at once and put forth its preference in favour of these essential countries. The country’s EU-membership, Parliament’s rejection of the motion, its NATO ties with European allies and the military’s economic contacts with big French firms are all events that will ease the new policy.
Total uncertainty after 1945 and chaos required very intense efforts to form institutions that would fulfill lasting peace and development in the world. If we suppose that the current atmosphere is equal to that after 1945, the decisions to be taken must be as radical.
Today, the U.S. administration, which classifies the developments taking place in different regions of the globe in line with whether they cause a threat or not, an administration which is either paranoid or not sincere, but always insolent and aggressive, and a mentality which tries to understand the reasons for the same developments and prefers to consider them a problem that is waiting for a solution, not a threat, have been face to face. Europe, mostly, takes part in the second category. It acts with self-confidence as it has revived peace since 1945 and now, Europe conveyed it to the resting countries of the continent via the enlargement process. Capital punishment was totally erased from the continent’s notebook with Turkey’s late signature. Europe is a geography with no war, a war is massive capital punishment applied to societies. This is also the value that Europe can export. The EU is a social project which aims to "share" and which is directed towards the future. The power and charm of the U.S., to a great extent, are based on the combatant values.
In the 21st century, Turkey could continue on its path not with military assurance by the U.S., but with democratic assurance from the EU. Its proof is: The economic and political stability within ten years in middle and eastern european countries next to the EU, on the contrary, chronic instability continues in the middle and south American countries, known as the back garden of the ultra-rich U.S. Other proof is the deplorable situation that Turkey sided with the U.S. for 50 years.
Our center of gravity on EU
In fact, the U.S. policy, causing the feeling of helplessness, are not so decisive. As for Turkey, the U.S. is a country that should not be disregarded only from the point of military equipment. But it is possible to find a solution or an alternative to this. Via the war, the future of NATO — its policies which have not been clear since 1989 and also not definite which country it supports — will be questioned like the other institutions after 1945. From the economic point of view, Turkey has deep-rooted relations with the EU.
If the membership process and the preparation for membership continue as is required, the country’s economy might improve fast towards full harmonization. Turkey’s need for credit could be arranged within the framework of cooperation of European and international monetary institutions (IMF and the World Bank), similar to that in other member countries. Foreign capital, which enters the country and which is mostly exported from the U.S., is in an attempt to overcome visibility and bureaucratic obstacles for new investments. On the other side, one should not ignore that though the U.S. monetary power comes from its 17-percent vote right within the IMF, the total votes of the EU countries reached 31 percent and Europe will use this advantage one day. In addition, no country will benefit from punishing Turkey, which will not make concessions to the U.S., within the IMF.
In the meantime, Turkey was forced to lose revenue which is far more than the financial aid pledged by the U.S. that had been so charming to the stock exchange speculators and merely 10,000 domestic debt profiteers. What is more, similar to a Nasreddin Hodja anecdote "God makes him find the lost donkey and this makes him happy," it is totally meaningless to be pleased with the financial aid which is to be granted to Turkey by the U.S. with a range of blackmails. Finally, Turkey’s accession to the EU will contribute to Europe’s acting together, which could not politically or militarily act together. It will be essential that our existing geographical and historical proximity with the Middle East, which is about to vanish in the chaos, will contribute to the EU’s efforts for being politicized.
On Saturday, March 1, 2003, God protected Turkey. Not a political stance, but the conscious concerns of the deputies, who turned the motion down, and the military’s not granting permission played a key role behind Parliament’s rejection of the government motion as they could not risk taking the responsibility on their own. However, thanks to this, an opportunity that is so difficult to totally perceive even today, appeared ahead of Turkey. Probably, the postman knocked on the door once more and this caused us to make a fatal mistake by taking the Bush side while taking our place in the new world. It should be our responsibility not to make a present of a thing that belongs to others and rightfully determine our direction.
