Turkey and the EU

Turkey has been trying to get into the European Union for a long time. It has been a long drawn out process, as Europe is reluctant. Right now, it is unclear what will happen, and this is one of the most important issues in Turkish politics.

If Turkey was allowed into the EU, there would be an economic give and take on both sides. Europe is worried about a flood of Turks into their countries when the boarders open. Turkey will soon be the same size as Germany, and would have considerable power in the Union.
Turkey would be the first Muslim country in the union. We had an inter-port lecturer from Lebanon on the ship before we got to Turkey named professor Barghoti. He passionately believed that the only reason that Turkey is not being invited into the union is because Europe is racist. I’m sure this is part of it as countries like France, which has racist reputation, are already struggling with immigrant Muslim communities from northern Africa. One student on the ship from Spain has seen first hand in her country these large communities of Arabs that refuse to assimilate into society.

I brought up in lecture that one of the main marks against Turkey is its treatment of the Kurdish people. Professor Barghoti got really pissed off and went on a tangent about how every time Turkey meets the EU’s requirements they raise the bar again. He said, "Today it’s the Kurds, and then they will bring up the Armenians, and then the next day it will be the weather. The bottom line is that the EU is racist, and that is the only reason Turkey is not being let in." I do not agree with his position at all. Turkey has some serious human rights problems, and putting the Kurdish conflict and the Armenian genocide in the same category as weather is pretty offensive.

This is one reason that it might be good for Turkey to be in the EU. They would be held accountable and human rights violations would not fly. They are trying to clean up their act, and the situation would only improve.

Geographically, it does not make sense. It is called the European Union. It seems silly to invite middle-eastern countries to join. Who next? Azerbaijan? Russia?

Culturally it would be very significant. It would help bridge the gap between East and West, two groups of people that historically do not understand each other. I understand how sensitive Europeans are to their cultural norms. They have a certain time they eat lunch, certain routines, and they like things how they are. For them to embrace the East would be very hard. It would be a tough decision.

Turkey is an example of the secular, Muslim, minimally democratic society that America dreams for the Middle East. I think that support of Turkey’s entrance into the EU is in America’s best interest. The way I see it, the Middle East is in a tug of war between the westernization of Turkey, and the Islamic fundamentalism of Iran. America definitely would rather see the Middle East go in the direction of Turkey.

I am torn on the subject and to me the cultural consequences are the most important. This would knock down a huge barrier between these two groups of people. To me this decision reflects the trends of globalization in general. I have been exposed to some very special cultures on this trip. Even in very remote places I have almost always found some sort of export American culture and it makes me sick. Some places should be kept sacred. Turkish entrance into the EU would cause a huge flux of cultures in both directions. This spread would take away from the uniqueness that makes these different countries so special. On the other hand, this kind of mixing would also create understanding among these different groups. The lowering of barriers due to globalization has caused many different societies to become economically and culturally intertwined. As people become invested in other cultures, blind nationalism declines. The lessoning of tensions and increase in understanding are steps toward peace. As steps like this are taken, more and more people will identify as global citizens. If Turkish entrance into the EU and globalization in general is a step towards a more peaceful and tolerant world then maybe it is worth cultural losses.