Mr. President,

Mr. Mayor, Professors.

Dear Students,

Distinguished Guests,

At the outset, I would like to express my sincere pleasure to have the opportunity to address this distinguished audience and particularly thank everyone in the organization of this event.

I am well aware of the eminent place of Leiden University and its outstanding intellectual accumulation throughout its almost five century old history. Your university has always been “Praesidium Libertatis”, the Bastion of Liberty where freedom of belief and religion was practiced. It was in this atmosphere of freedom of speech that philosophers like Spinoza and Descartes were able to develop their ideas.

With a history of engagement in domestic and European history, it is not by coincidence that today we are united under the roof of Leiden University to discuss Turkey’s reform process and Turkey’s accession process. At a time when the most immediate need of humanity is tolerance and respect differences, the strong international orientation of this university should be nothing else than a source of inspiration.

There lies the significance of Turkey’s membership to the EU as it will demonstrate to the whole world that different cultures can co-exist and could indeed live together in peace under the same political and economic Union. This will seriously challenge the philosophy of the radicals from all faiths.

In this respect, to understand our respective attitudes, we should have a broad understanding of the making of Europe. The perennial question which underlines European integration is what Europe is in reality. Europe has so far eluded definitions and descriptions. It may be an idea or a world view or a life style. It may be a civilization in hermetic sense. It may be a set of institutions in terms of state regimes. It may be geography. Or it may be a sum total of all.

If Europe is reduced to belonging to a certain faith, this Europe will be based on the denial of enlightenment and secularism which have really made what Europe is presently.

Turkey’s European vocation started to shape itself in history when Turkey began to associate westernization with modernization. Already in the last decades of the Ottoman Empire reforms were introduced which brought Turkey closer to Europe. Naturally, the process accelerated after the Republic was established in 1923 and the country underwent comprehensive transformation. The European model was followed in this process. The Civil Code was taken from Switzerland, the Criminal Code from Italy, the Administrative Code from France and the Commercial Code from Germany. These choices were not made on haphazard bases. Instead in each case, the most advanced pieces of legislation of the times were selected for implementation in Turkey. One might therefore say that Turkey is no stranger to adopting European legislation.

Turkey has also taken an early interest in the efforts to build a United Europe. Even before the EEC came into being in 1957, Turkey had become a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD, and an early member of NATO. All these institutions were devoted, each on its own way, to bring Europe closer together.

It is therefore not surprising that Turkey asked to join the European Economic Community barely one and half years after it came into being, namely on 31 July 1959. The Association Agreement states in its Article 28 that “As soon as the operation of this agreement has advanced far enough to justify envisaging full acceptance by Turkey, of the obligations arising out of the Treaty establishing the Community, the Contracting parties shall examine the possibility of the accession of Turkey to the Community.” In other words, the principle that Turkey would one day join the European Community was recognized in the first agreement. What remained to be done was to consider the conditions for this to happen. This Agreement was ratified by the Parliaments of all original members of the Community. In other words it is part of the “acquis”.

Thus we can overtly say that Turkey’s accession to the EU is no new subject. It has been on the agenda for decades, that is to say, more than four decades. Our cultural, historical, philosophical and moral heritages may be different from one another. But our commonalities are far more extensive.

Turkey shares with Europe all political, social and economic institutions as well as related values and ideas. As far as we are concerned, no formation can monopolize the values and ideas for which we stand together.

Dear Participants,

As we have always stated, full membership to the EU has always been, and will continue to be, the fundamental priority of the Republic of Turkey. Regardless of the developments in the negotiation process, reforms that Turkey foremost needs will be carried out without interruption.

As it has been the case until now, our goal is to continue the reforms not only in the political field, but also in every field that will enable our citizens to reach higher standards in every aspect of their daily lives.

Reforms match the needs of Turkey. They are necessary for raising the living standards of the Turkish people to the highest possible level. The only way for modernization is through reforming ourselves and locating of going up to our deficiencies in an open hearted manner, so as to overcome them.

The reforms are also key to meeting accession criteria. And the objectives of these criteria coincide with the objectives of our reforms, that are first and foremost to increase the living standards of the Turkish people, reinforce human rights and good governance, and create a more competitive and economically strong Turkey.

Within the context of this comprehensive reform process, which is often characterized by independent observers as a “silent revolution”, nearly one third of the Constitution has been amended, 8 reform packages have fully been enacted.

The major pieces of legislation and international conventions included in the 9th reform package which is at the Parliament have been adopted and many administrative arrangements have been brought into force.

We still have a busy agenda as regards Turkey’s EU accession process. With this in mind, we have started preparations for a new, more freedom-oriented Constitution which covers various areas within our EU harmonization process. The views and proposals of the public, including social partners and civil society organizations will of course be taken into account.

Furthermore, the new Law on Foundations has been approved by the Parliament. The new Law contains important improvements in the property rights and functioning of foundations, including non-Muslim community foundations. It also allows the return of immovable properties owned by non-Muslim community foundations and registered with the Property Registration Office.

Also, the deliberations on the redrafting of Article 301 of the Penal Code by the Ministry of Justice have reached an advanced stage. We will shortly drop this subject from the agenda between Turkey and the EU.

The reforms in judiciary also continue. Ministry of Justice which is the responsible institute for the organization of the judiciary in Turkey is fully aware of the need of drawing a reform strategy for the next years in order to ensure the visibility and concreteness of the current and future reforms. Thus, the Ministry is currently working on the draft Reform Strategy of Judiciary. This reform strategy which is expected to be finalized by the end of 2008 will mainly be based on the strengthening of the independence, impartiality and efficiency of Turkish Judiciary.

Nobody in Turkey claims that we have reached the desired point on this path of reform which we have embarked upon. But we have left behind very important turning points.

Those who now observe Turkey closely see how civil society is strengthening; how transparency in the public sector is improving, how the climate of  democratic free debate  is being consolidated; how human rights are increasingly influencing daily life, administrative procedures and judicial decisions, how corruption and organized crime are being combated.

In this respect, what we expect from the European Union is not to discourage Turkey on its path of full alignment with the acquis and democratic standards. This process is not an easy task. Indeed, the challenges and difficulties of Turkey’s road to accession require patience, hard work and devotion. We are committed to carry on this process as long as it is kept on a realistic and viable basis. We must not forget that what are at stake are not only Turkey’s interests but that of the EU’s as well.

There is no reason for the EU to impede our strong desire of transformation and reform nor a reason to dishearten the Turkish public. Let us continue onward to the point where we will decide together the final stage of the process.

We are witnessing that the membership of Turkey is a matter of lively debate in some European countries. We respect the opinions expressed in these discussions and even benefit from them. But the fact that presenting the potential, merits or shortcomings of Turkey in a fair and objective manner is essential in order to reach a sound conclusion at the end of these discussions.

It should not be forgotten that, Turkey which will be a member of the EU upon the completion of the accession negotiations, would be very different from today’s Turkey. 

Tomorrow’s Turkey will be different both in terms of its socio-economic standards as well as its legislative structure. Actually, that is the essence of the accession negotiations. That is the fact lying behind the general acceptance that the accession negotiations will be a lengthy process. Therefore, at this very moment, it is pointless to debate Turkey’s place vis-à-vis the enlargement of the EU.

Wrong perceptions about the realities of Turkey’s accession create unfounded public fears in a number of European countries. We observe wide spread scare mongering surfacing prior and during the parliamentary elections in Europe. These cannot be neglected. However these tactics do not take away the responsibilities of the European leaders. Political leadership means to stand up and fight for the European vision. Leadership is not based on opinion polls. It is based on clear views and strong convictions.

Political leaders in Europe must explain, again and again, that Turkey is the real test case for a fundamental question: “Will Europe ever be able to play a role as a global actor, to accept global responsibility and contribute to the creation of a peaceful world?”

The Union needs to reconnect to its citizens and demonstrate the practical benefits of enlargement. The citizens of Europe should be informed that enlargement is also the reinvigorating force for the economies of Europe. Each joining country provides new jobs, new markets and new opportunities for investment.

Dear Participants,

Turkey’s membership to the Union will effectively help transform the EU into a global actor. The enlarged European Union with Turkey as a member will be a source of inspiration to other regions as well. This new vision will demonstrate that diversity and richness if it is based on common values and ideals.

This will promote intercultural tolerance and understanding. It will enhance the strategic reach of the Union and reinforce its role as an international actor.

We need visible progress for the sustainability of the negotiation process. We should continue to move forward on chapters which are technically ready for opening during the Slovenian Presidency. To this end, Turkey has intensified its efforts to fulfill the technical opening benchmarks in several chapters. In three of them, namely “Company law”, “Intellectual Property” and “Free Movement of Capital”, the work has already accomplished and these three chapters are now ready to be opened. We trust that the Commission will also play its part to complete, in a timely manner, the process required within the EU.

However, since 2007 we have been facing difficulties of a non-technical nature in our accession process. We note with dismay that political issues keep interfering with the process. As we continued to progress on the technical track, we started to observe that the process was being more and more politicized. This seemed to be the best way to slow down the process for some member countries.

As a result, what we are witnessing today in Turkey is a mounting doubt as regards the sincerity of the EU’s accession policy towards Turkey. At a time when we need a strong encouragement from the EU, we saw statements from some EU leaders questioning the place of Turkey in Europe. These developments increased frustration in our public and has led to a decline in public support to EU accession.

Another reason for such a decline in public support is the way the Cyprus problem has been treated in some EU countries.

Distinguished Participants,

Dear Guests,

Since the Helsinki Summit in 1999, Turkey’s political, economic and legal landscape has changed dramatically. I have already given examples from the political developments, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. With the adoption and implementation of the EU acquis, Turkey has been changing structurally and accession process has functioned as the main catalyst in this radical transformation.

As you know the “acquis” is the accumulated rules and policies of the EU and the process of adopting the EU acquis is not a new concept for us. It had already started with the customs union in mid 1990s. However opening of accession negotiations has brought a new dynamism to the harmonisation process.

Based on our experience, we are aware that harmonisation is not solely a legislative operation. Without enforcement and implementation, legal changes cannot take root. Therefore, while making legal changes, we have been giving utmost importance to the enforceability and hence “mentality change”.

We have realized that without internalizing these principles and values we cannot achieve results.

Let me give you a few examples about certain developments in institutionalising core values and principles and how they started to change the relationship between the state and society in Turkey.

With respect to transparency and accountability, “The Law on the Right to Information” is the most important step. This law regulates both individuals’ right to get information and public institutions’ obligation to provide information. There is no doubt that the right to information is fundamental to the realisation of economic and social, as well as civil and political rights.

Moreover, steps for the simplification of the budget have already been taken in order to make the state budget more transparent so that the citizens can follow how much revenue is there and how it is being spent.

In the accession period, the transparency of public sector accounting and the efficiency of tax administration have also improved dramatically. Accordingly, important progress has been achieved in aligning the legislation of financial management and financial control with international standards.

In this respect, “Public Financial Management and Financial Control Law” can be considered as a landmark. It tightens and widens the financial control system in Turkey so that every public institution became subject to fiscal control in international standards, no matter which function they carry out.

Moreover, autonomous monitoring authorities were established in the areas of banking, capital markets, competition and public procurement. There will soon be an autonomous surveillance body monitoring the state aid as well.

Implementation of the Ombudsman Law will create an institutional framework for the monitoring of public administration by the Turkish citizens.

Furthermore, work is underway to institutionalise the “participation principle” in the public administration so that the social parties will be able to reflect their opinion regarding each and every action of the Government in their respective areas.

The legal base for “social dialogue” in the labour market has also been prepared.

Another important step is the Public Administration Reform, through which consultation to the relevant parties will become a legal necessity in all civil service areas. 

The free interplay of market forces has also been extended and strengthened in the accession period. The process of liberalisation and deregulation, in contrast to a long tradition of state intervention in the market economy, started in the 1980s, but remained limited in scope. In recent years, important progress has been made in reducing political interference for a modern rule-based economy.

The independence of the Central Bank has been increased considerably. Furthermore, leading markets such as electricity, sugar, tobacco and petroleum have been liberalised. Independent regulatory and surveillance authorities have been established in the areas of telecommunications, energy, tobacco and alcohol.

These examples indicate that accession process has already started to change dramatically the relationship between the state and the society in Turkey. Increasingly, state is becoming much more accountable and transparent, and more importantly day by day these achievements are becoming irreversible for all the citizens.

We are moving ahead towards establishing a modern pluralistic democratic system and an open economy with sustainable growth. Although our own dynamics have played an important role, we should also stress that EU accession perspective has been acting as a significant “catalyst” in this process.

However, all these political, economic and legal reforms have taken place in a very short period of time. As you may all appreciate, such a radical transformation could not be realized without any noise. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that with our devoted citizens believing in democracy we will overcome the problems. A secular, democratic and modern Turkey will take its deserved place not only in Europe, but also in the international society.

Distinguished Participants,

Dear Students,

In any discussion of the relations between Turkey and the EU, there is a tendency to concentrate on immediate problems rather than conceptualising the relationship as a long term project. This parochial view about Turkey’s accession has detrimental effects not only on the relations but also on Turkey’s reform process.

While discussing Turkey-EU relations, a dynamic framework of analysis needs to be adopted in order to take into consideration the effects of change and how change may enhance the achievement of mutual benefits. Therefore, short-term considerations should not be permitted to produce long-term difficulties in Turkey-EU relations. All parties should preserve a vision based on long-term benefits that would accrue from the advancement of the relationship, which are considerable. Nevertheless, the contribution of the EU to Turkey’s transformation is not so much in terms of financial assistance. The essential element is the perspective and the anchor EU provides to the political and economic system in Turkey. In the final analysis, it is the momentum in membership negotiations that counts. However, anything less than a membership vision in the foreseeable future lacks persuasiveness and cannot serve as anchor.

Distinguished Participants,

Dear Students,

We are acting with the understanding that our relations with the EU are a process conducted between partners. We are displaying in the strongest way the necessary political will with the sense of historic responsibility which this path requires. However, for EU enlargement to proceed successfully, all concerned parties must have strong political will. Opening of the accession negotiations has demonstrated that the both sides have this political will. Thus, the somewhat sceptical judgements of the EU publics suggest that there is a communication gap between decision-makers and the public.  The gap has to be filled.

The accession process is an opportunity for both sides; for Turkey it is an opportunity to use its immense dynamics for the transformation of the country and for the EU it is an opportunity to increase its political and economic power in a more complex international system. Thus the accession is an arduous process but it is also an irreversible process at the end of which both Turkey and the EU will gain a lot.

Thank you.