Turkey made things harder

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks like a soccer player that kicks a ball and scores an own goal. Afterwards, in the manner of all macho men, he goes on and argues with the referee.

Everything had finished.

The European Union Commission report to be released on Oct. 6, was ready.

In private conversation, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen openly said, despite some deficiencies, Turkey had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and that he would recommend the union to start membership negotiations. All member countries were waiting for this. They were going to hide behind the report and give the go ahead for the negotiations.

Do you remember Parliament rejecting the United States troop deployment in Turkey? We are faced with a similar situation. No one knows how the problem came to being or how it grew into this monster. This is like a traffic accident.

Turkey, which was to start its victory parade on Oct. 6, hurt itself.

The attitude of the EU Commission and the EU capitals has begun to change. According to my latest findings the situation is this.

The commission report will be less clear. It will no longer openly say that Turkey has fulfilled the Copenhagen Criteria. The Turkish Penal Law (TCK) will become a precondition and everything will be left to the EU leaders that will meet on Dec. 17. In other words, our job will become much harder. Most governments of member countries are under fire from groups opposed to Turkey’s membership and were planning to approve the commission’s recommendation without detailed discussions. Now, those against Turkey’s accession will have more room to maneuver.
The trust they felt for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Erdogan has suffered too. Now, they are under the impression that Turkey cannot be trusted to implement the reforms and is unstable. Those opposed to Turkey’s membership are stronger. Those for Turkey’s membership will have to work harder to convince others.
You’ll see that even if the leaders approve Turkey starting negotiations on Dec. 17, many more preconditions then expected will be attached. Turkey will be under constant surveillance during this process. They will also emphasize that starting negotiations does not necessarily mean that Turkey will eventually become a member.
I am not as sure as I used to be
Those who read my articles know very well that for some time, I have been saying that the EU Commission’s report on Turkey will be positive and would recommend the start of membership negotiations. I repeated these opinions on television. I also constantly noted that the negotiations would start in the second half of 2005.

I am not as sure as I used to be anymore.

Those EU officials I have been in constant contact during this process have aired some of their doubts. Those opposed to Turkey’s membership have relaxed. Some say that even the pressure on the commission has subsided. In other words, compared to a few weeks ago, the air has changed considerably.

A decision to start the negotiations can still come out from the Dec. 17 summit, but now, this approval will also entail many preconditions. The road to full membership will be harder. The number of obstacles will increase.

It was us who provided this opportunity for those groups against our membership.

Just when we were about to start our victory parade, we scored an own goal and have postponed everything on the summit on Dec. 17.

Who else could have done such a thing, apart from us?

Please tell me.