“Turkey: threatened negotiations”

The changes of attitudes by some policy makers regarding Turkey are some how unhealthy for they seem to prove that the French political class rules based on polls only. It’s necessary to recall some facts. The European Commission established the rules and it’s obvious that Turkey won’t be a member of the European Union unless it respects human rights, recognizes the Armenian genocide and normalises relations with Cyprus. It’s a fact that the incorporation of the 11 000 pages of community rights into the Turkish law will take some time.
Therefore, the analysis of the Turkish candidacy won’t be done in the next ten years and there’s no sign of a favourable outcome in the negotiations. The stated issues will be hardly solved. The fact of recognizing the Armenian genocide in Turkey is as difficult as recognizing the nature of the Vichy regime or the Algerian war in France. The process has already begun in Turkey but it will take time. With regards to the Cypriot and the Kurdish issues, things are more advanced. Turkey is also suffering adverse reactions in its national pride. Its latest statement about Cyrpus was disastrous and things will be worst and delayed. Those who oppose the Turkish inclusion for their xenophobia are happy for this.
We need a democratized Turkey and it does not have the necessary resources to do it without help. The European Union is a powerful driving force and it can contribute to the democratization of the Muslim world, which is a factor of peace. Europe has, by nature, a reconciliatory tendency and this will solve the Turkish-Cypriot matter. Besides, the dynamism of Turkey’s economy will be good for Europe and the Turkish emigration will be reduced, or there will be none. On the other hand, the world’s second oil reserves are shared by four Turkish-speaking former Soviet Republics where Ankara plays a key role.
If we reject Turkey, that country could turn Europhobic and we could pay a high cost for that.