European Union in the Eyes of Turkish People

1) What is E.U. for Turkish people ?

Do Turkish people want Turkey to be a part of E.U. ? What are the expectations ? What would be the results if Turkey takes part in E.U.?

2)Turkish people who lives in EU 3)Reasons why Turkey still non E.U. country
a)Religious reasons b)Geographical reasons c)Political reasons

-Turkish People-

History of being Turkish begins with the Ottoman Empire and before the ottoman empire .First empire established in 27 July 1299 capital as Sogut near big city as known as Bursa . With the enormous tactical knowledge and braveness of first conquerors of Ottoman, it expanded really fastly and bigley .Expansion lasted around 400 years and ottoman empire had its biggest borders extending to asia , africa and europe . Empire had stopped expanding at XVII. century and begun collapsing at following 3 centuries .Firstly, eastern europe , middle europe , balkans , africa and lastly by the end of first world war Empire lost asia and half of anatolia and empire had collapsed officially at the end of I. World War.Before collapsing , all minorities in ottoman empire have declared their independence in ottoman empire and the last part and main part of Ottoman Empire as known as anatolia and istanbul ; after World War 1st , between 1919 and 1922 , had been invaded by Entente Powers as know as; Greece , Italy, Britain , France and Armenia .Against to this invasion civil population had started defending their own cities There was no army and there was collapsed government which : all its rights have taken by Entente Powers .In the same time there were commanders and free Turkish population at anatolian land.Big commander Mustafa Kemal have rearmed local people who were fighting against to invader powers.Turkish people by the command of Mustafa Kemal won Independence war and invasion of foreign countries ended with several Agreements.Also the agreements which Ottoman government signed after I World War have been renewed after the victory of Turkish people and Mustafa Kemal .Afterwards the victory , Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made reform about political, legal, cultural, social and economic policy of new Republic of Turkey into a Secular nation-state .With the reforms , Turkish people have met with new western democratic lifestyle in all ways and Turkish contemporary history has started with new western pages , Ottoman Empire buried into history and Turkish people who lives in old ottoman areas have started migrating to new Turkey.So as now, who lives in Turkey -Armenian,Kurd and other minorities- are turkish citizen as offically and everybody have the same political and humanistic rights at the moment.
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Democracy and Secularism

I can say that , Turkey is a secular and democratic Muslim country.Through that it is really hard to be secular country with over 70 million muslim population and also democratic level of Turkey has started to increase very fastly after Turkeys propose to take part in EU . Government has changed many old law s for UN (united nations) and had made reforms on law system and gave more rights to minorities -especially Kurdson the way of becoming a member of EU.Beyond the legislative packages of European Union , Turkey has signed The United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rightsat 15th august 2000 and on the way of democracy Turkey had many other steps like removal of execution and reform at army .To sum up Turkey had adopted power of law and democracy after negotiations with EU.EU comission master Prodi had said at his speech on Turkish parlement on 14 january 2004 Turkey had big improovment about the adaptation to the criterias of 5 November 2003 nevertheless , according to improvement raports of comission at 2003, comission has indicated that Turkey has a lack of performing these reforms . So we can understand that Turkish democracy and human rights has largely improved in last 10 years and precisely we can say that Turkish democracy is now leading and maybe its an answer how to be muslim and democratic. Now a days middle-east and north-african non democratic muslim countries on the way of being democratic and there we can say Turkey is a good example to follow.

What do Turkish people think about EU

European Union means to Turkish people many things like westernization , liberty ,travel without visa, modernity , job opportunities and becoming a much more stronger country.These are some ideas what Turkish society thinks. These things sounds good but over these things there is a big responsibility to joining EU . Sharing same fate with 27 more countries ..here is the question : could Turkish society handle on it ? Yes Turkish people are ready for that ..People want to have higher standards than usual they want to have a good and quality full life .Turkish people see Europe as a west and taking part in European Union as a last part of being westernized. Because Turkey has started westernization after world war in all sections , we can say that more than 100 years it is the Turkish policy to be westernized and using an European

ideology and there is only one missing : without joining to EU Turkey is not yet westernised and it means that the last circle of the chain is still missing . Turkish people see Europe as its moderner then Turkey because in the eyes of Turkish people , europe is closest and most civilised continent . If Turkey was in America , Turkey would like to join NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement).Because Turkey had accepted westernization as its development project after first world war with the thoughts of Ataturk.Turkish people want to be part of EU because more than %70 of society doesn't want to have eastern style because last 4 generation in Turkey has grown with the ideology of westernization and adopted western law and western governmental structure .People want to describe their self as an european and as an western country , people want to travel easily and people want to feel the liberty.So Turkish people are studying with western methods Turkey has western laws , Democracy is improoved fastly recent 10 years there had been reforms about human rights and power of law so by seeing these advancements we can say that people get ready for new europeanish life style , people are ready to change the only thing that Turkish society needs is more education and seperation of religion . Because many of strict believers in Turkey want to adopt the east and want to have co operations with muslim countries not with non-muslim countries.I can tell that these old minded muslims are living their scholastic age at Turkey and they are causing bad effects and bad thoughts on foreign people. But religion is not matter for foreign policy in a secular country and it can not affect the politics and actions of a country .Religion can not shape the foreign policy in such a country..

Turkish people who lives in Europe

There is totally more than 5 million people lives in European Union countries , majority of these people lives firstly in Germany around 2.5 million and over 500,000 people lives in France .There is a survey at the following page and that questions about what does EU mean for the Turkish people who lives in France and Germany.

What does it mean the membership of Turkey to EU for you ?

Germany, % More Human rights More democracy More job opportunities Ethical collapse Exploitation End of the national liberty Division of the country 69,3 62,7 61,4 52,0 37,2 23,9 23,8

France, % 78,8 66,7 83,0 36,3 34,2 24,0 22,5

As we can see more then half percentage has answered it as more human rights, more democracy , and job opportunities apart from this half of the people who lives at Germany thinks that adaptation of European life would cause moral problems .According to table majority of people supports European Union , of course there is bad side effects through to the Turkish lifestyle but good side is heavier than bad side and this change is what Turkish people are ready for . Not only for Turkey but also for European union ll have opportunities to utilize from that membership in different ways like economically and culturally.Membership of Turkey would cause a usage of cheap and good marketing zones in Turkey .Doors of the eastern world would fine to Europe . Strategic position of Turkey would cause many advantages to Eu countries and at the following chart shows us what do TurkishEuropean people thinks about this subject.

Table 2. By the membership of Turkey to EU , what do you think about , what kind of benefits would Turkish society cause to European society ? Germany France

Count Cultural richness and variety Fit Turkish people up with work power New Marketing spaces Turkish people bring new family and morality values Cause different human values Others I don't think that it'll be beneficial Totaly 568

% 53,3

Count 252

% 42,0

688

64,6

440

73,3

405

38,0

242

40,3

341

32,0

121

20,2

286

26,9

111

18,5

11 41

1,0 3,8

4 29

0,4 4,8

1065

100,0

600

100,0

As we can see from the chart : majority of the opinions are showing us that Turkish people believes that it would be an cultural combining and it would be beneficial about having new marketing areas and work powers. At this chart it shows what Turkish-European people think that they are .

Germany Number % 36,

French Number 145 % 24,

total Number 535 % 32 ,1 53 ,0

I m from Turkey
First I am Turkish then I am European
First I m european then I m Turkish I m only european

390

531

49,

351

58,

882

98

9,2

68

11,

166

10 ,0 3,

40

3,8

21

3,5

61

6 Others 6 ,6 12 2,2 18 1, 3 10 0, 0

Total

1065

10 0,0

600

10 0,0

1665

As we see on the table most of Turkish people who lives in Europe are saying that they are firstly Turkish , so we can say that they are proud of being Turkish but at the same time they are also proud of being european . According to these charts we can simply say that Turkish people who are living at Europe are pleased with european union .

Reasons of why Turkey is not an EU country

As we know that Turkey applies for associate membership in the European Economic Community at 1959 , since from that date Turkey had improved step by step and Turkey's application to accede to the European Union was made on 14 April 1987.Afterwards Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership on 12 December 1999, at the Helsinki summit of the European Council.Negotiations were started on 3 October 2005 and it seems like the earliest date that Turkey could enter the EU is 2013.

Religious Reasons
According to my opinion , one of the reasons why Turkey still not an EU country is Religion and here is some notes which Commander Mustafa Kemal s hand writing from the book Medeni Bilgiler -in english Civil Informations- ; These notes have written in the section Nation Turks were again big nation before arabs accepted the muslim religion , after the acceptance of the religion by arabs , this religion had not formed to concernment of being a nation together with Arabs and Turks .On the

contrary this religion have softened : Turk s national relations , national sensations and national motivation . Turkish nation had become retarded by reading and memorising Holy Book Quran out of understanding. and the profit of religion was a demolishment for Turks after the collapse, the people who brought the religion just went away to their deserts and left the Turkish land , at the end Turks were not thinking about the heaven , they were thinking about defense and preservation of Turkish land against the enemy . Here is the profit of religion on Turkish nation . These words have written by Mustafa Kemal for study at the schools but not everybody is apriciatefull about these words because below the 40 % of Turkish population had already lost their Turk identifications , with the Muslim Religion people had the sense of brotherhood of Muslim and as Ataturk said ; religion changed identification of Turk Nation. Nowadays In Turkey many strict muslims don't want to be westernised and they influence their audiences and they effect like %30 of Muslim population in Turkey. As we consider this amount is around 20 million Turkish people think that Europe is collapse of morality. They can say that Europe is open mouthed Dragon because they don't want to live with cultural differences only one vision that they support is Turk can't have any friend than Turk , that idea cannot support the idea of Europe and idea of co-operations with foreign countries .Despite Turkey is co-operating with foreign countries more than Turk companies . This is the educational collapse of Turkey , if people were well educated these kind of situations wouldn't have occurred and this generation is now oldest generation of Turkey and new generations has become well educated after 2000s . for me this is one reason why Turkey is not an EU country.

Geographical Reasons
Turkey is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The

Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. It is seems like a bridge Europe to Asia . According to Turkey's location it connects asian market to european market and in case of full membership to EU , european countries will have many great marketing places and free spaces in Turkish land . Despite , European countries will have borders to Asian countries that would cause increase of land trade routes between europe to asia and asia to europe . Another subject is Turkey's strategic location . Turkey has an important strategic location by this strategic position of Turkey can benefit the army of Europe . Bad side of geographical reason is European Union will become neighbor to eastern countries which don't like European Union as politically. That would cause defence problems for both size and Turkish people doesn't want to become enemies with eastern countries , because people have ideology of protecting muslim and not seeing muslims as an enemy. Government's position at this situation is really difficult because at the one side there is muslim areas and at the other side there is an opportunity for westernization and becoming member of Europe. Today's government doesn't want to leave east but want to be west .

Political reason
Another reason is Political reasons ; if Turkey becomes a member of Eu in future Turkey ll be the largest country and second high populated country between EU countries . Population is an important fact which directly affect EU.Because representation in EU organisations , population of a country plays critical role.If we consider full membership of Turkey and other candidate countries , Eu population will rise to averagely 600 million inhabitants and Turkish population will represent %14 of it .At the Eu parliament Germany has 99 agents and england italy and france have 72 agents .If Turkey would have a full membership to EU all balance at the parliament will be changed .Because criteria at the parliament is population of the country .There is 736 members who has seats at European Parliament and in case of membership of Turkey , Turkey will represent parliament more than 3 big countries agents .After

Germany Turkey will be second high populated country at the parliament and that'll change institutional structure of European Union.Big population brings big responsibility and that disturbs Eu countries.Another fact is Turkey's adaptation to European institutions , Turkey is still trying to adapt european style institutions and still having some reforms in Turkish institutions . If we consider that there is a crisis in the Europe , it would be really risky decision of Turkey's membership at these years .France Germany and other big countries wouldn't like to have a competitor like Turkey and membership of Turkey would change whole political view of EU .

Conclusion
As a conclusion , we can say that Turkish people more than averagely want to be a part of Europe , Europe means many opportunities for Turkish people and means high standards of life . Further to that Turkish -Muslim traditions doesn't want to be a part of EU , who are traditionalist and righter muslim doesn't want to be westernised instead of westernization they thing that westernization is better and they support an muslim country instead of a secular country . Who thinks like that is around % 20 and %25 of Turkish population . More than half of population strictly want to be a part of EU and government supports European life style in muslim ways .Government is following the foreign policy like friendly relations with eastern countries and trying to have a good relations with western countries. More than half of population supports the government but some groups in Turkey are seeing government like muslim and scarring of retrogradation and become a muslim country with muslim laws . To sum up Turkey has a critical position between eu and eastern countries but the point is not consider only one side adaptation could EU also adapt Turkey's membership or it would be collapse of European union and beginning of an new union.Because in history of EU there had been many chances at the union. Works Cited

DUNDAR, Can. "Atatrk'n sansrlenen grleri." Milliyet [Istanbul] 30 10 2006, daily n. pag. Web. 25 May. 2012. quoted MedeniBilgiler <http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2006/10/30/yazar/dundar.html>. KARLUK, Ridvan. AVRUPA BRLNN GENLEME PERSPEKTFNDE TRKYENN YER . MA thesis. Turkiye iktisad kongresi, 2004. 2004. Web. <http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:vNtmiXq_-egJ:scholar.google.com/ avrupabirligi&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5>. KAYA, Ayhan. "Avrupa Birlii, Avrupallk ve Avrupa-Trkleri: Tireli ve oul Kimlikler." Cogito , Avrupayi Dusunmek ozel sayisi 39. n.d. 6-1. Print.