Speech by EU Commissioner Rehn - EU and Turkey together on the same journey

Summary: Speech by EU Commissioner Rehn - EU and Turkey together on the same journey (7 October 2005: Kayseri)

Speech by Mr Olli Rehn, Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enlargement, Visit to Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

EU and Turkey together on the same journey

I am very pleased to be here in Kayseri, in the heartland of Turkey, and to greet its dynamic population on this day of holy Ramadan. Your province is indeed blessed with many advantages. You have a very active industrial community which can be regarded as the epitome of Turkey's economic development and success. In addition to the natural beauties of Cappadocia and its architectural heritage, this region of Turkey also carries a particular significance in the context of European history. Throughout the centuries, many sons and daughters of this city have left their mark on our shared legacy of humanism.

I came to visit Turkey and you here in Kayseri with three intentions: to celebrate with you; to congratulate you; and to encourage you.

I am here first of all to celebrate a great turning point in the history of Europe, which is the launch of accession negotiations with Turkey on Monday 3 October. It is no secret that there were some complications in delivering this result. On the EU side there were differences of opinion and perceptions and in Turkey there were some doubts and reservations about the EU position. However this is understandable given the high stakes that were involved and that 26 countries needed to come to an agreement. I was there to greet Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr Gul when he arrived to the conference room Monday night and I can assure you that there was electricity in the air as all the gathered Foreign Ministers realised that they were witnessing the beginning of a new era. At that moment our common vision won through, that the EU and Turkey share the same destiny.

Europe and Turkey remained firm in their conviction that religion, culture and history should not divide people, but on the contrary should help them build a common future based on the same principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Such an approach is more urgent than ever, at a time when terrorism, fundamentalism and fanaticism try to spread their poison of hatred and war within our countries.

Turkey has in the past suffered from internal violence and instability. Your country is also situated in a difficult neighbourhood. I know therefore that you appreciate the importance of security. In the European Union we also learned from a terrible past in order to build a new future and overcome centuries of conflict and mistrust. After two terrible world wars, which marked the decline of Europe in the world, our nations decided it was enough. In such a confined and populated area as this continent, with so many different ancient nations and cultures, they recognised at last that the only option left was peace. But not just any peace: peace through unification and cooperation, where countries settle their problems around a table and not on the battlefield, where they design common rules and policies to increase welfare, where they pool their sovereignties to become stronger and more influential in the world. Looking backwards, and without ignoring its difficulties, sometimes quite serious, the European Union is a great and unique success.

Turkey has its rightful place in this project. This was already acknowledged by the EU when the Association Agreement was signed in 1963. It has now been confirmed in a resounding way and I feel proud of this decision. Allow me to pay tribute to Abdullah Gül who is present with us for his hard work, his determination and his openness which made the deal possible.

This leads me to my second point, which is congratulating Turkey for this outcome. It is above all the result of Turkey's achievements in the past few years. Without the determined and steady efforts to come closer to Europe, it would have been impossible to even think about starting negotiations.

It gives a glaring response to all those, both in the EU and in Turkey, who have been making negative predictions over the years. We owe it to Turkey's resilience to anchor its policies to Europe and also to the exceptional period of political and economic stability enjoyed over the last few years, thanks to the efforts of the Turkish Government.

It is also the sign that in spite of the ups and downs witnessed in the last 40 years, our relations have developed and deepened steadily. For instance, the customs union between the EU and Turkey, which has been in force since 1996, has greatly contributed to rapid economic growth Turkey has enjoyed in recent years. In the first few years, textile and clothing exports to the EU doubled. They have grown ever since.

It is most impressive that, over the last few years, the Turkish government has pursued the reform process first and foremost in the interest of you, the people of Turkey, and not just in order to meet the requirements of Brussels, Paris or London. This, in my view, is the strongest guarantee of success. Obviously, the famous accession criteria are instrumental in such a process. We can call them the Copenhagen criteria - since they were decided upon in that city in 1993 - but as well we could call them the Ankara criteria or the Kayseri criteria! The European perspective of Turkey is a strong incentive for the continuation of the reforms. But they offer merely a quality fuel for the engine: those who start the engine, are in the driving seat and push on the pedals are and always will be the Turks themselves. In the final analysis, it all depends on you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this leads me to my third point, which is encouraging Turkey to focus its energies and renew its determination on the accession process.

This will be the longest part of my speech because, in fact, we are only at the start of a long process and the real work is only just beginning.

Since 3 October, Turkey has moved a very important step forward: it is now a negotiating country and not merely a candidate country. This status entails new expectations, as well as new responsibilities. Let me explain to you why.

Turkey is a great country with an amazing potential. Its population is young, its location at the crossroads of East and West is strategic, its entrepreneurs are renowned for their dynamism - not least here in Kayseri - its labour force is brave and tireless. To make full use of such a potential and transform it into reality, the key is good governance. The negotiation process for Turkey means nothing more or less than Turkey adopting the rules of governance which are applied in today's Europe. The European legislation, together with our social and economic programmes, form the fundamental rules of good governance which allow our countries and our citizens to work together, to live in freedom and to prosper.

These rules are the key to success - to better citizens rights and economic growth. Take a look at the previous enlargements. Look at Ireland, Spain or Poland. When it joined in 1973, Ireland was the poorest member of the European Community. It is now one of the richest. Its GDP per inhabitant is above the GDP per inhabitant of the UK. Spain, Portugal or Poland suffered for decades under dictatorships which suffocated their societies and prevented them from developing. They are now examples of countries which successfully made use of liberty, good governance and the solidarity of the Union to carry out the necessary reforms and significantly raise their living standards.

For Turkey, the adoption of these rules will mean a lot of hard work and many changes. Turkish history has proved to the world that you are afraid of neither. No doubt, Turkey will have to take difficult decisions.

Many issues will come to the forefront which will have an impact on people's daily life. Inevitably, sensitive questions will have to be tackled, not only in terms of economic or trade interest but also in the area of relations with neighbours, peaceful settlement of border disputes and reconciliation.

In this context, the role of the European Commission, which I represent here, will be to assist Turkey in meeting the requirements. The Commission has now a long a solid experience of enlargement. It played for instance a central role in the accession of the ten new countries to the EU in May 2004. Even if the Commission will not formally conduct the discussions with Turkey - the EU Member States do that - it will maintain a permanent dialogue with your country. The Commission is there to provide guidance and assistance, to look at how the conditions are fulfilled and to report back to the Member States who take the final decision.

It is precisely because we want this process to be a big success that the EU will follow closely what happens in Turkey. By establishing a rigorous negotiating framework, as adopted on 3 October, the European Union has set into motion a process which is geared towards Turkey's membership of the European Union.

We will get down to work without delay. Our first task will be to open the so-called "screening". On the 20 October, we will start this very technical exercise consisting of analysing in details the laws and policies of the EU and compare them with the legislation of Turkey. This will allow us to find out in which areas Turkey will need to focus her efforts in order to align with the EU legislation. In this sense, the word negotiation here is perhaps misleading; the discussions will in fact focus on "how" Turkey will adopt European standards and not on "whether" Turkey will adopt them. One of the fundamental principles of EU membership is that candidate countries must adopt all of the EU's laws and policies.

Thus the negotiation process will naturally be a long one. It will be a marathon rather than a sprint. Lots of stamina and patience will be necessary. This process will inevitably contribute to blurring the lines between domestic and European matters in Turkey.

Negative developments on issues of human rights and freedom of expression, such as the prosecution of your world famous novelist Orhan Pamuk, will not be a matter of serious concern only for Turkey, but for European public opinion as a whole. Whether you agree with his views or not, we must stand united in defending his fundamental democratic right to freely express himself. Indeed, from this very heartland of Anatolia the message of tolerance has echoed through the centuries from philosophers such as Yunus Emre and Mevlana.

This should not be a surprise but rather the sign that Turkey's political developments are gradually forming part of the European scene. It is further proof that the destinies of the EU and Turkey are converging.

Therefore there will be a strong link between the pace of negotiations and the pace of political reforms. Turkey will need to continue its process of internal transformation. It will need to speed up its transition towards a fully fledged liberal democracy respectful of human rights and minorities. Looking at recent developments, we can see that in spite of some negative developments here and there, Turkey's reform process is ongoing. Important legislative reforms adopted earlier have now entered into force, leading in particular to structural changes in the judiciary.

We must continue to work together on the reform process so that Turkish citizens can fully share the modern community of values, rights and freedoms. Significant further reforms will therefore be required in many areas.

My services will continue to monitor very closely the situation concerning the Copenhagen political criteria and we will make a detailed analysis in our Regular Report expected to be adopted on 9 November.

I am aware of the anxieties in Turkey about the political uncertainties concerning Turkey's membership bid. I know that public opinion in Turkey is asking more questions about the EU. We know by experience that any accession negotiation process, and even more so in the case of Turkey, cannot be taken for granted.

However, my advice is not to dwell on what other people might be saying but instead focus on what you can do to help Turkey become a member of the EU. Be confident that, if Turkey works well, in harmony and with the participation and support of all its citizens, then the EU will be glad to have you as a member which strengthens our common house.

From my contacts with Government, and in particular with Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gül and the chief negotiator State Minister Babacan, I am convinced that Turkey is committed to this process.

The meeting which the Prime Minister, FM Gül and Minister Babacan have held recently with some 50 NGOs is a good start. There needs to be a broad discussion in Turkey on the issues at stake in the negotiations. There needs to be a large consensus over the reforms still to be adopted. This process cannot succeed without the society at large being fully aware and in control.

My message is that we need to build solid relations based on mutual trust. In this way we will avoid difficulties and misunderstandings in the future. I expect the Turkish authorities to embark on this journey with an open attitude. One issue of crucial importance is to address the concerns about Turkey's EU membership perspective expressed in the democratic debate in Europe. I strongly encourage initiatives of the Turkish authorities and NGOs to further gain the hearts and minds of your fellow Europeans.

In the Commission, we are prepared to extend all the assistance we can offer. It is the purpose of our initiative on the "civil society dialogue" with Turkey to improve mutual understanding between the EU and Turkey and to overcome misperceptions. We want to involve municipalities, NGOs, professional organisations and business associations, youth, University and cultural organisations in our common endeavour.

I hope very much that the people and town of Kayseri will be in the forefront of this campaign. For example, I know that Kayseri is twinned with Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I would encourage you to organise a twinning also with an EU town.

We propose that the common pattern of projects to be funded under the civil society dialogue should be bilateral exchange projects involving partners from the EU and from Turkey, aimed at improving mutual knowledge and ensuring collaboration and exchange of expertise. It can be anticipated that roughly 40 million euro will be spent on civil society dialogue projects in 2006, including Community programmes.

But in the end, Turkey's best asset to gain support in public opinion in the EU is to show unambiguous and relentless commitment to democratic transformation and European values. As Turkey produces good news, in particular about how the reforms are being implemented, this will have a great impact on European opinion.

Ladies and Gentlemen, by starting accession negotiations with Turkey, the EU has become a stakeholder in the continuation of the political, economic and social transformation of this country. Obviously, the EU is committed to this process because we believe that this is also in our best interest, and it can be beneficial to our own citizens.

In our common endeavour, the journey is as rewarding as the final destination. The reform process is as important as accession itself. Since the 3rd of October, the European Union and Turkey are embarked together in the same journey. Stormy weather for the one will mean stormy weather for the other. A failure of Turkey would be a failure for the European Union, while a successful Turkey will enhance the role of the European Union as a true world player. Ladies and Gentlemen, this gives us new responsibilities and new opportunities. Allow me then to paraphrase the slogan of supporters of the Turkish football team:

Haydi Türkiye, haydi Avrupa Birligi, el ele ileriye !

Thank you, tesekküler

Ref: SP05-288EN
EU source: European Commission
UN forum:
Date: 7/10/2005

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