Most of Turkey’s demands satisfied

Today is a date that will be forever remembered in Turkish history.
Today is the starting day of a process that will eventually carry Turkey to Europe. A huge country of 70 million souls will no longer be faced with an identity crisis and will now play in the premier league.
This is one-half of a long and winding road.
Let us just enjoy our achievements this time.
Let us be happy.
Let us celebrate.
Do not forget those who took part in this process. Praise those who played an important role in the past and especially Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abdullah Gül. This duo was at the helm of this process. They have made history.
Let us just ignore the details. Let us look into the future. Let us think about the benefits for our country. Our children and grandchildren will be able to live better lives. Let us be proud of that.
Let us stop arguing.
Let us admit that those who criticized the European Union made certain valid arguments. Do not forget that those who supported the EU project had only the country’s interest in mind. Let us just enjoy what is to come.
Turkey is faced with an incredible opportunity. A process that will change both Turkey and the EU tremendously has started. Let us now concentrate all our energy to complete this process. Let us not quit half way through.
Things will get harder. We will face huge crises. Doors will be slammed. However, eventually, an agreement will be reached.
The person we need to remember today is our country’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
He gave us the duty to develop the country. I am sure he is smiling at us from where he is now.
Today is the time to celebrate.
Today is the day when we all should shout: “Happy is the one who calls himself a Turk.”

We don’t negotiate through threats and fights

I wonder if you have noticed, but during these negotiations over a date with the European Union, an old ailment of ours resurfaced. We also see it amongst ourselves, but it emerges mostly when we interact with foreigners. We can call it a habit. If a heated negotiation is going on, we can’t help it.
Our voices get louder, our stance becomes more aggressive and the words we use become harsher. We start speaking like we are lecturing someone. As we listen to what we say and receive more praise, we get excited and start using language that could be perceived as a mixture of blackmail and threat.
The worst part is, we think this kind of attitude makes others scared and ends with a victory for us.
Actually, it’s just the opposite that happens.
All parts of society share this attitude.

Our politicians, officials from the ruling party, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, the military and journalists, we all are infected with the same disease. This general attitude has become a part of us. We can’t get rid of it.
This stance is perceived as odd by foreigners, especially by Europeans. They’re not used to it. Statements that resemble blackmail surprise them. To tell you the truth, none of them are impressed. Such statements change nothing. No matter which capital I visited, I heard the same questions: “Why are you so nervous? Why are you so headstrong?”
Thank God we have reached the end.

However, now we’ll start the accession negotiations.
If we continue with our old habits, we’ll never make it to the end. We need to be more self-confident, relaxed and should stop treating others like we are fighting the Gallipoli Wars all over again.
You can be sure we’ll make no progress through yelling.
If we play the game according to the rules, we’ll progress much further.

A new breed of ‘Turkey experts’ materializes

In the 1980s and ’90s, there were about seven or eight experts on Turkey. They were part of the anti-communist class that the Cold War produced. As they investigated certain matters, they would also talk and write about Turkey.
With the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup, a new group of human-rights experts on Turkey suddenly appeared. Their job was to make lists of people who were tortured and write reports about the Kurdish problem. International nongovernmental organizations had found a new target. By studying Turkey, they could easily receive grants.
Now there is a new breed of Turkey experts.
Even if they never set foot in the country, they prance around, saying their expert things. I see them at nearly all the conferences I attend. They usually are misinformed but are very influential.
This fad will also end like the others before them, and only the real experts will remain. The best thing to do until they vacate the field is to follow them, invite them to briefings and never let them out of our sight. I know most of them and their weak points.

Turkey will be Europe’s Viagra

The basis of this article comes from Milliyet’s Osman Ulagay.
I never saw such a good description of what will happen. I tried to contact him to praise him but failed.
Viagra might make people think there is a sexual connotation to this description, but still it is perfect.
Turkey will definitely provide a boost for the European Union. Its economy will improve, its labor shortage will disappear and it will move towards becoming a superpower.
Some of us say: “What do we have to give them? Just look at us. They just want to be seen as welcoming us in order to exploit us later.”

You’ll see, they are also going to dismiss the decision that will be made on Friday.
They will argue that Turkey is being tricked. They will say we’ll never become a member. They will claim the EU is playing games with Turkey. Moreover, when they say this, their faces will never redden. They will forget the fact that they have been arguing the EU would never give Turkey a negotiation date since 2002, and say, “We told you so.”
They never feel shame.

We have no collective memory, and no one will come out and tell them that what they say now is not the same as they were arguing before.
We are a strange people.
Everyone has an opinion about everything. We trust conspiracy theories more than facts.
When I think about this, I remember something that former President Turgut Özal said: “They’ll get used to it.”