Expectations From Verheugen

Further on I also mentioned, without giving any names, that a high ranking official familiar with the subject shared my views, saying, "If the commission’s report comes to this conclusion, then the starting date for negotiations would not exceed mid 2005."

My informant was "G.V." — I did not write his name at the time as he had spoken off the record. But now I can tell you, for he openly repeated the same last week. Many of my colleagues, maybe because it was against their politics or they were influenced by others, did not believe what I had written, even accusing me of misleading the public.

Now, gradually, it is being seen that I was right.

G.V. is playing a very important role
Guenter Verheugen, for it was he, has been holding meetings ever since his arrival in Turkey on Sunday evening. These are the final stages before the report on Turkey is announced on Oct. 6th.

The draft report is ready, and soon it will be distributed to the superintendents. Then more chaos could ensue before it undergoes its final draft. This final report from the commission is of great importance to Turkey.

Most of the countries hiding behind the report can be seen clearly at this stage. So, in order to placate any adverse public reaction, they could say, "The commission told us what to do, so we have to go along with what they tell us."

Now, if we look at it from this perspective, Verheugen plays an important role in finalizing the report.

He could allow the insertion of many comments that could easily help create a negative reaction from many EU capitals that were waiting for such a chance. If he wishes, he could insist and thus minimize pressure from commissioners; he could even convince them.

When the history of EU Commission comes to be written, Verheugen will clearly be remembered as one of the commissioners who, as the most important people in Europe, helped Turkey harmonize with the Copenhagen criteria and the democratic process.

Described by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Sukru Sina Gurel as just an "official of the commission," Verheugen today plays a crucially important role. Besides this, he also realizes the historical mission placed upon him, and thus adopts a positive approach. All our expectations rely upon the fact that he will describe the report in a most clearly understanding way and be able to resist the other commissioners artificial requests.

I have read some of the reports given to the latest nominees. They all contain a key sentence — "countries that a have fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria will be included in the negotiations, and that even though there will be some missing actionable items, it is advised that the country mentioned should be invited to the negotiating table at a date to be settled."

This is the expectation of the Turkish public. Maybe Turkey has not 100 percent fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria — especially in the sense of implementing it. Turkey may not be at the same level as Germany, France or England in the sense of criteria. We Turks cannot act as the Scandinavians do. But we have undertaken a lot.

Disregarding Europeans, we were amazed at our own speed. We did a lot in a conscious way. Those who are aware of the number of taboos that have been broken, and the point at where we are now, are quite amazed. Me included!

After coming to such a point, in giving hope and excitement to a country of 70 million, to say, "Do it, then come and join us," then to place a report written by the commission that only the countries of the commission could understand, full of trap sentences that could be considered as "pre-conditions" would help in destroying a very big part of Turkey.

Of course there should be conditions.

Of course there should be a new road map, in defining the way negotiations should be held.

The last thing this country wants is to be told, "Fulfill some more of these conditions, and then we shall meet again to discuss and decide."