From L to R are European Parliament member Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Friedrich Naumann Foundation's Turkey representative Hans-Georg Fleck and Gökçe Perçinoğlu from TESEV. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
28 May 2013 /SEVGİ AKARÇEŞME, BRUSSELS
A member of the European Parliament and the rapporteur on accession negotiations with Turkey, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, said on Tuesday that European orientation is absolutely crucial for the future of the country.
Speaking at a panel discussion on the perception of Turkey in the Middle East at the Brussels office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Lambsdorff argued that more and more people are concerned about personal freedom and the status of the press in Turkey despite the earlier enthusiasm about the EU reforms in the country. He directed attention to the “polarized situation” in Turkey.
Referring to the recently approved bill on the restriction on the sale of alcohol between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Turkey, Lambsdorff claimed there has been a slow change in the fabric of society. According to him, there is a demise of Kemalist understanding of religious life and the public sphere. “All of these will influence Turkey's relations with the EU,” said Lambsdorff.
Commenting on the regional power of Turkey, Lambsdorff said that “a real leadership role has not materialized yet” by Turkey.
He believes that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secretly has a sense of admiration for Vladimir Putin. He said that Putin's “managed democracy” is very appealing to Erdoğan.
In his evaluation of the findings of a Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) survey on the perception of Turkey in the Middle East, Lambsdorff said Turkey is perceived as a rising economic power, not necessarily today, but in the future.
As far as the settlement process of the Kurdish issue is concerned, he said it will have a positive impact on Turkey's image as a model in the region.
Gökçe Perçinoğlu from TESEV, who gave a presentation at the same event, talked about Turkey's perception in the Middle East. According to her, in the last decade the main task of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) foreign policy has been crisis management such as in Iraq and Cyprus. “The EU process gave legitimization to the AK Party,” she commented. However, according to her, the Arab Spring changed things and forced Turkey to take sides.
The Turkey representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Dr. Hans-Georg Fleck, commented on Turkish-Armenian relations and defined them as a function of Turkey's relations with Azerbaijan. According to him, nothing will change in Turkey's policy towards Armenia as long as its relations with Azerbaijan continue to strengthen.
Talking about the necessity for evolution and adaptation to a new reality in the region as far as Turkey's zero-problem-with-neighbors policy is concerned, a European diplomat said that although commendable, such a policy could only work if you have stable neighbors who can speak in one voice. In that respect, he defined Turkey's current foreign policy as “post-zero problem with neighbors.”
Calling foreign policy the most positive dimension of relations between Turkey and the EU, the same diplomat said that the EU welcomes the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel, while stating there is sympathy towards the former regarding the Mavi Marmara incident.
After touching upon the strained relations between Turkey and two of its neighbors, Iran and Iraq, the same diplomat said that Turkey's humanitarian efforts in Syria are exemplary. However, he criticized Turkey's reluctance to work with the international organizations through which Turkey could receive aid from the EU for Syrian refugees in the country.
Stating that the EU's decision to lift the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition has brought Turkey and the EU closer, the speakers at the meeting still agreed on the necessity of a political solution in Syria.
Referring to the recently approved bill on the restriction on the sale of alcohol between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Turkey, Lambsdorff claimed there has been a slow change in the fabric of society. According to him, there is a demise of Kemalist understanding of religious life and the public sphere. “All of these will influence Turkey's relations with the EU,” said Lambsdorff.
Commenting on the regional power of Turkey, Lambsdorff said that “a real leadership role has not materialized yet” by Turkey.
He believes that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secretly has a sense of admiration for Vladimir Putin. He said that Putin's “managed democracy” is very appealing to Erdoğan.
In his evaluation of the findings of a Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) survey on the perception of Turkey in the Middle East, Lambsdorff said Turkey is perceived as a rising economic power, not necessarily today, but in the future.
As far as the settlement process of the Kurdish issue is concerned, he said it will have a positive impact on Turkey's image as a model in the region.
Gökçe Perçinoğlu from TESEV, who gave a presentation at the same event, talked about Turkey's perception in the Middle East. According to her, in the last decade the main task of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) foreign policy has been crisis management such as in Iraq and Cyprus. “The EU process gave legitimization to the AK Party,” she commented. However, according to her, the Arab Spring changed things and forced Turkey to take sides.
The Turkey representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Dr. Hans-Georg Fleck, commented on Turkish-Armenian relations and defined them as a function of Turkey's relations with Azerbaijan. According to him, nothing will change in Turkey's policy towards Armenia as long as its relations with Azerbaijan continue to strengthen.
EU supports political solution in Syria despite lifting arms embargo
At another private meeting at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, European Union diplomats commented on Turkish foreign policy and the relations between Turkey and the EU on the condition of anonymity.Talking about the necessity for evolution and adaptation to a new reality in the region as far as Turkey's zero-problem-with-neighbors policy is concerned, a European diplomat said that although commendable, such a policy could only work if you have stable neighbors who can speak in one voice. In that respect, he defined Turkey's current foreign policy as “post-zero problem with neighbors.”
Calling foreign policy the most positive dimension of relations between Turkey and the EU, the same diplomat said that the EU welcomes the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel, while stating there is sympathy towards the former regarding the Mavi Marmara incident.
After touching upon the strained relations between Turkey and two of its neighbors, Iran and Iraq, the same diplomat said that Turkey's humanitarian efforts in Syria are exemplary. However, he criticized Turkey's reluctance to work with the international organizations through which Turkey could receive aid from the EU for Syrian refugees in the country.
Stating that the EU's decision to lift the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition has brought Turkey and the EU closer, the speakers at the meeting still agreed on the necessity of a political solution in Syria.