Speech of Mr. Ali Babacan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Delivered to the Ambassadors of EU Member States and Candidate Countries on the Occasion of May 9 Europe Day, Ankara, 9 May 2008
Honorable Ambassadors, Distinguished Guests,
We have also started celebrating May 9 “Europe Day” since Turkey received candidate status in 1999. Within the scope of May 9 Europe Day, we traditionally meet with the Ambassadors of the EU and Candidate countries.
Fifty eight years ago today, Robert Schuman proposed the blueprint of an integrated Europe with the belief that a unified Europe is indispensable for creating an environment of peace on the continent. The time that has passed has demonstrated the accuracy of this.
Today’s Europe is a realm of peace, stability and welfare. “Europe” does not solely represent a geographic area. Today, as we celebrate “Europe Day”, we do not celebrate the existence of a geographic unit, but rather, the shared values and ideals of hundreds of millions of people.
We also perceive the European Union as a sum of shared values. These values are democracy, fundamental rights and freedoms, human rights, the rule of law, pluralism and tolerance. These values encompass appreciating differences as richness. Finally, these values involve the peaceful coexistence of differences.
Distinguished Guests,
The European Union of today has become a worldwide accepted peace project whose roots stem from the modest Iron and Steel Community established after the troubled times of the World War II, a time of irreconcilable differences.
The Union, which started with six countries in the beginning and now comprising twenty-seven countries after subsequent enlargements, represents a whole of states which have united around common values and created richness from differences. At the same time the European Union has today become a community of well functioning democracies. In terms of democracy and economic integration, it is a source of inspiration for many regions and countries of the world.
However, the challenges of the 21st century require the European Union to adopt a wider vision.
In this regard, it would be inappropriate to play down the significance of enlargement. The collapse of the Berlin Wall presented the Union with new countries which embrace liberal democratic values. Each new member has made significant contributions to the Union’s cultural diversity, values and most importantly with a vision for the future of Europe.
At the same time the European Union is also undergoing a process of significant change and transformation. The institutional reforms stipulated by the Lisbon Treaty are going to be implemented from now on. Even if various criticisms are expressed about the implementation of these reforms, we observe that the EU is overcoming the challenges before it one by one through compromise. And now we observe that the EU is going through a comprehensive transformation process with success.
Our country has also gone through and is going through an important transformation process. In this context, Turkey’s accession process has also entered a different stage with the commencement of negotiations in 2004.
The Negotiation Framework Document agreed upon in September 2005 describes and sets out the parameters of Turkey-EU relations. Full membership lies at the heart of these important parameters. As Turkey, our goal is to become a member of the EU. No other alternative is feasible.
Keeping our goal of full membership intact is crucial for moving forward in the accession process. Undertaking reforms and ensuring public support for these reforms are only possible if the goal of full membership is maintained. The negotiations need to proceed in line with this objective which was adopted as a result of a consensus of the member states. Political obstacles should not be brought against the negotiations and an encouraging approach should be maintained.
Honorable Ambassadors,
Distinguished guests,
The world appreciates the level that Turkey has attained as a result of the reforms that were undertaken during the last five years. The Turkey of five years ago and the Turkey of today are nearly two separate and different countries. A period that is qualified as a “revolution” by observers from outside has been experienced in our country. Turkey five years, seven years and ten years down the line will not be the same as the Turkey of today. Without any doubts, this process involves many more reforms and transformation. The reforms have the full backing of our people.
As Turkey advances her standards in all areas, deepens her democracy, and moves ahead in fundamental rights and freedoms, as she elevates her norms and standards in areas that directly influence the daily lives of her people such as environment, food security and health, these will make the Turkish people happy and content.
Our President, our Prime Minister, our Government and our Members of Parliament are behind the reform process. The Turkish Grand National Assembly, which has put into effect with determination various Constitutional amendments as well as legal regulations during the last five years, is undertaking and will undertake important steps during the new legislative year.
As you are following, the proposal to amend Article 301 of the Penal Code has been approved in the General Assembly of the TGNA. The new Law on Foundations has also become effective.
The underlying reason behind the major transformation process realized during the last five years in Turkey is first and foremost the EU reform process coupled naturally by a strong economic program. Political stability and reforms in the political arena have made remarkable contributions to the strengthening of the economy.
Political stability and economic stability are concepts that go hand in hand together. In countries without political stability, sustaining economic stability cannot be possible. The EU process has enabled Turkey to become a more foreseeable country. Our people, those who observe Turkey from outside, the business world, and investors who ask themselves how Turkey will look like in five or ten years down the line find the answer to this question in the EU process.
Sectoral policies, the operation of our system, questions such as how democratic Turkey will become, to what extent Turkey will be able to embrace the rule of law and answers to all of these are closely related to the healthy progress of the EU process. Turkey’s chances of becoming a secure country where no leeway is left for arbitrariness, and an open, transparent, more predictable and foreseeable country are closely related to the reforms we have undertaken and the EU process.
In September 2005, about 2,5 years ago, after the approval of our Negotiation Framework Document, Turkey started the screening process. For a year, the EU acquis was examined in all its detail. Thousands of people have commuted to Brussels from Turkey. They received briefings and explained practices to the EU Commission.
After the end of the screening process in September 2006, the road map of Turkey regarding the coming periods was finalized. In other words, after learning the details of the acquis, answers to questions such as which steps Turkey will be taking, which reforms need to be undertaken, what kind of sectoral policies need to be developed were learned and understood by all of our institutions. We, in our own internal reform process, especially while we were conducting our own reform process regarding alignment to the acquis, have given special importance to expanding this process to all Ministries and to grassroots. The bureaucracy in Turkey and civil society institutions had to deeply understand and embrace our endeavors.
Due to this, we have not established a central, cumbersome and a very large EU structure. We have not established an undersecretariat or a Ministry. We have never espoused the idea that the EU process belongs to a centralized powerful institution. The number of civil servants in Turkey outweighs the populations of many of the EU countries. We have a tradition of bureaucracy and by all means these reforms are being realized with the powerful grip of the bureaucracy. For this reason, our EU endeavors, which are expanded to all ministries and involve all of our ministries, are a natural extension of the daily work of our Ministers.
While we were undertaking most of these reforms, especially after confronting problems concerning Cyprus and after the negative repercussions of evaluations concerning Turkey on these reforms during the election process in some countries, we have not made a special emphasis to the European Union in most of the work we have undertaken. While explaining our achievements to the Parliament and to the public, we focused on why we have done these, their benefits to Turkey, and what they will bring to Turkey. The reason is that undertaking these steps and these initiatives just because “Europe demands them” is unfortunately not a realistic and possible approach in Turkey and the European Union today. First of all, we need to believe in what we are doing, we need to be convinced of them, all of our institutions need to trust them, the TGNA needs to embrace these, our people need to believe in the accuracy of these steps and then we will undertake these steps.
Especially in a period where our date of membership is not certain, without doubt the schedule and the means with which these reforms will be undertaken remains to a great extent at the initiative of Turkey. Whenever our membership date and membership schedule becomes more concrete, at that moment, we can have a common approach with the EU and exhibit a different stance regarding a schedule for reforms.
Distinguished guests,
A culture that considers diversity as richness, tolerance and mutual understanding as a way of life and solidarity as a code of conduct is an approach that is shared and pursued by Turkey. This comprehensive way of thinking is important not only for Europe but also for the geography extending way beyond Europe.
Turkey can make important contributions to this geography. In this regard, the global and regional reflections of Turkey’s EU accession process cannot be disregarded. The EU membership process of Turkey where Islam, democracy and secularism are in conformity and exist together healthily, is of crucial importance not only for Turkey but also for many other countries in our region and distant lands as well and is followed closely with great attention.
We based our endeavors related to this subject on a very concrete footing with our Alliance of Civilizations Initiative. This project which came into being as jointly co-chaired by the Republic of Turkey and the Spanish Government now belongs to the United Nations and many countries and international organizations are making contributions to this project through concrete studies and projects. The number of countries belonging to the Group of Friends of Alliance of Civilizations has surpassed 60. 13 international institutions again belong to this Group. It is for this reason that Turkey’s European Union process will enable Europe to have a more secure and stable environment in the long term. For the vicinity of the European Union to be a stable region living in peace, Turkey’s membership process is of great significance.
On the other hand, Turkey will give dynamism to the European Union, increase its competitive power, bring vitality to its economy and provide new initiatives in the field of energy. A European Union encompassing Turkey will enjoy a stronger power of representation. The global influence, access and vision of the European Union will be reinforced. Due to this reason, Turkey’s path to the EU is a strategic project. The process should be evaluated with a strategic view and long term perspective and removed from daily concerns and narrowly-focused local political interests.
I believe that Turkey’s importance and value for the European Union will be better understood in time. With this understanding, Turkey will take its deserved place in the EU by making the utmost effort to conclude the accession process successfully. Naturally, we expect the EU to abide by its commitments.
Europeans live together in peace without forsaking their own distinguishing qualities. Our vision for Europe involves close cooperation, mutual interaction, unity along integration axis, promotion of solidarity and respect for diversity. This comprehensive vision will reinforce the economic and strategic dimensions of the EU which Turkey will be a full member of.
With these ideas I congratulate 9th of May Europe Day and thank you for being with us here today.