Turkey debate must be put to the people

Date: 29/01/04

TO MANY, the European Parliament elections have lacked a truly European dimension for the past 25 years. The electorate generally votes to reward or punish politicians on domestic issues, not for their EU plans.

The elections on 10-13 June may change all that. For the first time, they could well be fought on genuinely European issues because they are taking place at a time of crucial significance for the future of the EU.

The Union is at a crossroads, as it goes through a soul-searching debate about its powers, internal organization and expansion beyond the present enlargement, under which it will take in eight central and eastern European countries, as well as Cyprus and Malta.

Two major issues are set to feed electoral debates across the EU: the European constitution and the accession of Turkey.

"More than ever before, we have the prospect of seeing all candidates, from all parties, from all countries, electioneer on two common themes," a European Parliament official said.

The drafting of the EU constitution and subsequent failure by the Union's leaders to adopt it will undoubtedly figure highly in the speeches of many aspiring MEPs. But Turkey's steady rapprochement with the EU, and an expected landmark decision on Ankara's accession bid, by the end of the year, is also a likely electoral theme.

The EU's government leaders have asked the European Commission to issue an opinion this year on the possibility of starting negotiations with Turkey. On the basis of this, the European Council will announce, probably in December, a decision on whether Turkey has won the go-ahead to start negotiations, 40 years after it signed an Association Agreement with the EU and 17 years after it applied for membership.

As a decision on this is so close, the EU's political parties, in particular the European People's Party (EPP), are expected to make it a key electoral issue.

Germany and France are likely to be the main stages for such a debate. The centre-right parties of the two countries have expressed doubts about Ankara's 'European vocation', with leaders of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), or its more conservative Bavarian arm, the CSU, ruling out Turkey's accession.

But whatever their view on Ankara's membership bid, EU politicians of all colours agree on one thing: it is crucial that a decision is only made after a thorough airing of the pros and cons. The European elections are the best platform for this.

Wilfried Martens, president of the pan-European EPP, Europe's biggest political 'family', warns that a decision must be taken only "after a serious debate".

"At [the European summit in] Helsinki, there was no debate," he said of the December 1999 summit where EU government leaders recognised Turkey as an official candidate for accession.

Martens admits that Turkey could be a hot subject in his party's electoral campaign.

"In some EU countries, people are not worried about [the accession of] Turkey: in Italy, Spain, in the UK. In the south of Europe, except for France, there is no problem with this. But not so in the rest of Europe - in some countries, there is strong opposition to it." Martens reckons that backing for Turkey's membership could cost his party votes in countries such as Germany and France.

"The idea of Turkey's ever- closer rapprochement to the EU is not yet ripe in some people's minds."

In Germany, much to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's dismay, the Christian Democrats have hinted they plan to make Turkey the focus of their campaign for June's elections. With a few notable exceptions - former chancellor Helmut Kohl and former defence minister Volker Rühe - CDU leaders are against Turkey's accession.

Wolfgang Schäuble, the party's 'Europe thinker', said it was "anti-democratic not to talk to voters on such an important subject. Parties cannot say that this theme is so difficult, that we cannot talk about it with citizens", he told Der Spiegel.

He is against Turkey's entry, as "the exaggerated demand to overstretch the geographical borders of the continent would paralyse and destroy the EU".

He says he would prefer a "privileged partnership" instead.

Schäuble insists that his party will debate the Turkish question "without xenophobia". But MEP Martin Schulz, who heads the Social Democrat party list for the European Parliament, has criticized the CDU for planning to campaign "at the expense of foreigners in Germany".

Yet, although Turkish accession is a sensitive topic, the issue should not be banned from the electoral campaign.

Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer admitted during a visit to Ankara last week that his country, as well as others, have both "rational and emotional" objections to Turkey "that will have to be dealt with".

The campaign preceding the elections is the best opportunity for tackling these popular doubts.

The subject is crucial, and not so technical that it cannot be discussed by ordinary citizens.

By contrast, barring the subject from the campaign, on the grounds it could result in non-politically correct statements, and announcing a decision by EU leaders shortly after the elections, would make voters feel excluded from decision-making.

This would increase the gap between citizens and elites. It would also waste the chance to adding more importance to the elections - and, for once, make them truly European.

Feature looks at if and whether the question of Turkey joining the EU should become an issue at the European Parliament elections, June 2004.