Turkey to join EU, not EU joining Turkey

Our piece on Turkey a fortnight ago raised some legitimate reactions and comments. We found them very sensible and they concur in many respects with our own thinking. With some of them we disagreed completely.

It is not our intention to start a polemic on this by focusing on the points we disagreed with. We are, however, going to try to push the argument a little further.

It is worth noting that last year the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament voted in favour of starting membership negotiations with Turkey and not in favour of admitting that country as a member. We are sure that the Maltese MEPs who voted in favour, did so to give Turkey the chance to prove itself.

Hence, we have nothing of the over-enthusiasm shown by the UK, which seems to have lost its penchant for looking hard before leaping (as in Iraq). Nor do we share the chauvinism of the French.

However, we must underline that from the point where Turkey was shown the green light to begin negotiations, the EU must ascertain that Turkey fully honours its commitments. The European Movement (Malta) will continue to air its views on this subject in the future because we consider the issue of crucial importance to the very survival of the EU.

Turkey has to change a lot before it is finally admitted in the Union. That can happen only when democracy and human rights become so ingrained in Turkish society - to the extent that nothing more will separate it from ours. Turkey must also learn to respect small countries and minorities.

Ankara has shown that it has no respect for small states like Malta and Cyprus. It does not treat minorities like the Kurds well. It is too sensitive to criticism, too nationalistic, too reticent in coming to terms with the darker sides of its history and the treatment of peoples such as the Armenians.

Turkey has come a long way already and we admire the efforts of its hard-working people. But it is going to take a long time before the EU can say yes to Turkish membership. Those who like the UK and the United States seem to still be enthralled by the cold war ways of seeing things should tread more carefully.

An unchanged Turkey could spell the end of the EU and bring huge insecurity. So give Turkey a chance, but let us not capitulate at every corner. We must not be rushed. Europe must ensure that its standards are fully met.

It is Turkey which wants to join the EU and not the EU which wants to join Turkey.