EU-Turkey Warming Relations?

• 10.20.2015, 18:54
•  Europe,  Region,  World

During the recent days one can see and feel warming of the relations between the EU and Turkey. After the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Turkey and her promise to support to activate Turkey's accession process in the EU, talks on resuming EU-Turkey negotiations have become more and more. And these talks are not just for fixing the fact that these negotiations will be resumed, but trying to find an answer – why exactly now and what for?

Many argue that this is a deal between Germany and Turkey – support in the refugee problem in exchange of support for resuming Turkey’s accession negotiations. This argument is not without any ground. Before agreeing to implement the migrant action plan with the European Union, Turkey has put demands before the EU - the opening of EU negotiation chapters, visa liberalization, the transfer of 3 billion euros from the EU to Turkey for migrant support and the invitation of Turkish leaders to EU summits, Hurriyet reports. "There are four elements. Germany is ready to give support on these issues." This was Merkel’s answer to the Turkish demands.

Of course, Turkey is doing everything to avoid linking the "warming" of EU-Turkey relations with the migrant crisis. Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu has strictly ruled out such kind of arguments. "Turkey’s EU membership and the Syrian refugee issue are two separate issues. However, they [EU member states] need to see that Turkey is important for Europe in regards to the refugee issue. They cannot ignore that the instability in Syria has an impact on them. The EU is not fulfilling what it is actually required to do as a favor to Turkey. The turmoil in the region will take long, maybe a decade, maybe two decades," Hurriyet quotes Sinirlioğlu.

Irrespective of what was agreed between Turkey and Germany, there is still a lot Turkey should do to be accepted in the EU family. According to Economic Development Foundation (IKV) Secretary General Çiğdem Nas the main obstacles for the talks on Turkey’s EU membership are restrictions on democratization, media freedom, freedom of expression, and human rights. "It is not a hopeful picture unless Turkey ‘wins the EU’s favor’ in terms of democracy and human rights," Nas said.

If the EU consisted only with two or three countries it would be possible to imagine that in exchange of support in this or that issue the sides would come to an agreement to make Turkey an EU member state. However, this is not the case and cannot be, as it will make the current situation in the EU even worse. The maximal thing now the EU can offer is opening some of the Chapters…