The question of Turkey’s status as a candidate for EU membership, at the centre of the last summit this year of the heads of state and of government of the continent, monopolises the attention of the main European and international dailies. “The European Union is ready to say ‘yes’ to Turkey, but also ‘but'” is the front-page headline in the Herald Tribune (16/12) . “With a decision on Turkey just a few hours away reports Graham Bowley the European Parliament voted Wednesday to open negotiations ‘without undue delays’. It voted, with 407 yes against 262 no and 29 abstentions, on the Resolution that is not binding but will nonetheless influence the line adopted by the leaders at the start of their summit”. The same author also discusses the Turkish question as a test bed for European “ multilateralism” in the edition of the American daily of the previous day (15/12). He especially emphasizes the insistence on what Bowley calls the Christian “club”, at a time when “many Europeans are resigning themselves to the lack of a multicultural society in Europe”. “Europe about to open its doors to Turkey”, on the other hand, is the front-page headline in Le Monde (15/12), in which it is recalled that “the integration of Turkey cannot happen before 2015”. “The supporters of Turkey’s membership want to promote dialogue with Islam” is the title of an article signed by Thomas Ferenczi inside the same paper, in which it is pointed out that “at a time when the European Union is about to give the green light to the opening of negotiations with Turkey, one of the main arguments advanced by the supporters of her membership is of a geo-strategic order”. “Religious freedom, a test for Turkey”, is the opening headline in the French Catholic daily La Croix, where Bruno Frappat signs an editorial analysing the “past, present and future” of the Turkish question. “It’s not the European past, nor its present that is placed in question, but its future”, argues Frappat, according to whom “when the memory is too speedily interrupted, it may compromise the future and discourage it. If one could prove that Turkey will never be able to meet the criteria of the Union, it would be hard to see why the doors to negotiations should be opened to her. But who can prove the future?” The attention of German commentators too is extensively focused on the events linked to Turkey and the EU. Writing in Die Welt (15/12) Michael Stürmer observes: “ Either Turkey obtains what the Turkish government wants at all costs: entry into the EU, … or there will be dissension between Europe and Turkey with enormous repercussions on the Atlantic Pact, on the EU, on the geo-political balance of power in the Middle East and on the three million Turks in Germany“. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung publishes, among others, the opinions of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who foresees that “ Turkey will not fulfil the Copenhagen criteria for entry into the EU as an ordinary member country. What will be decisive“, he adds, “ is that the examination should take place in a serious, verifiable and open-ended way. That will require at least 10-15 years. By then, many of those who declare themselves favourable to Turkey’s entry, will no longer be in office. It would seem to me unjust and unfair to Turkey, if some were to promise entry into the EU today, well knowing that they cannot keep their promise or obtain the consent of their countries“. The weekly Der Spiegel (13/12) analyses the situation from the viewpoint of Erdogan: “ An almost oppressive burden of hopes on the part of his compatriots accompanies Erdogan on his journey to Brussels, while a diplomatic minefield awaits him in the headquarters of the EU. […] With the lever of Europe, Erdogan in the space of two years has shaken up his country, marginalized the opposition, placed the army and the ‘bureaucratic oligarchies’ with their backs against the wall in the sectors of defence, justice and administration. According to the latest opinion polls, over three quarters of the Turks want to enter the EU. Europe is the cement on which his power is based“.———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1350 N.ro relativo : 90 Data pubblicazione : 18/12/04
