Schriften des Deutschen Orient-Instituts

Schriften des Deutschen Orient-Instituts

Ahmet Evinl Geoffrey Denton (Editors) Turkey and the European Community

Ahmet Evin Geoffrey Denton (Editors) Turkey and the European Community Leske + Budrich, Opladen 1900

Gedruckt mit Unterstützung der Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung CIP-1itelaufnahme der Deutschen Bibliothek Turkey and the European Community / Ahmet Evin; Geoffrey Denton. - Opladen: Leske u. Budrich, 1990 Schriften des Deutschen Orient-Instituts) ISBN 978-3-8100-0646-2 ISBN 978-3-663-01422-5 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-663-01422-5 NE: Evin, Ahmet [Hrsg.] 1990 by Leske Verlag + Budrich GmbH, Opladen

Preface The history of relations between the Europan Community and Thrkey has been a sad story, on both sides. Unrealism has been the keynote throughout. What was long overdue by the end of 1987 was to sweep away the past contradictions and tergiversations, and try to make a new start on a more realistic basis. Thrkey has now applied formally to resume as a full member of the Community. However, as several chapters of this Report show, there are on both sides great reservations a bout membership, unless this were intended to take place only many years ahead. Politically, the relationship between the Community and Turkey was damaged by the Cyprus and Aegean problems between Thrkey and Greece. It began to break down already in 1964, and the breach was widened by the events of 1974 in Cyprus, by Greece's subsequent rapid accession to the Community, and by the military take over in Thrkey in 1980. Since 1980 there has been a slow process of restoration of relations, marked by new elections in November 1983, and a gradual rehabilitation of Turkey's position in the Council of Europe by 1986, as Turkey strove to re-establish its credentials as a democratic state. Economically there were serious complaints on both sides about the working of the Association Agreement. In the Community it was feit that the economic policy of Thrkish governments prior to 1979 was in contradiction with the purposes of the Agreement. The Turkish authorities complained that agreements made by the Community with other countries nullified the advantage which Turkey was supposed to derive from the Agreement, and the Community countries put obstades in the way ofturkish exports. An Additional Protocol of 1970, referring to the possibility of full membership by Thrkey by 1995, reflected euphoria for a larger Community rather than progress towards political and economic rapprochement. During the 1970s the political situation in Thrkey was confused, and there was no serious effort to formulate a policy leading towards membership. This allowed the Community countries to avoid having to contemplate seriously the full political implications of Turkish membership in foreseeable future. Global economic developments, with recession and growing protectionism following the OPEC-induced oil price shocks of 1973 and 1979 served to intensify the difficuities in econornic relations between the EC and Thrkey. What then of the future of relations between Turkey and the Community? Have the ambiguities of the last 25 years to be repeated over the next 25 years? Or should it be accepted that Turkey will inevitably grow apart from Western Europe, abandon its European identity, and seek its cultural, political and economic development elsewhere? Not necessarily. There are still opportunities for realistic co-operation and dose and friendly relations between the Community and Thrkey if the truly common interests are 5

sensibly pursued on both sides in an atmosphere of mutual respect and abnegation of unrealistie demands. Politically, and strategically, the common interests ofnations that are all members ofnato (except for Ireland) remain as powerful as they have ever been. The whole European Community, but above all Greece, has a vital interest in a stable and democratie Thrkey remaining attached to the Western Alliance, as a pillar against the threats of Soviet expansion out of the Black Sea, and of Arab and Iranian turmoil in the Middle East. For Thrkey, the Western European connection remains the ultimate guarantee of freedom to pursue the democratie way to peace and prosperity. EconomieaIly, the logie ofthe customs union envisaged as long aga as 1963, and specifically targeted in 1970, remains as strong as ever, on both sides. And here there is at last real hope of progress. The economie strategy pursued by Thrkish governments since January 1980 is consistent with the objective of external economie liberalisation; finaily, domestic policy is in line with the stated external policy. While 1995 may be too near for the full customs union to be completed by the original target date, certainly progress could now be made on a new tirnetable. Assurning that the European Community achieves its current objectives of controlling agricultural spending, re-structuring the budget, reforming the institutions and completion of the internal common market, the way would be open on that side for a new dialogue with Thrkey.If meanwhile the Özal government has succeeded in confirming its democratie bona fides, while maintaining the stability created since 1980, the way will also be open on the Turkish side. An easing of the world economie crisis could also create more favourable conditions for removing economic irritants. Regardless of the Thrkish application for full membership, the Council of Association, in reviewing Thrkey's relations with the Community, could have as its immediate objective the restoration of economic co-operation on a realistic basis covering the customs union, conditions for rnigraht workers, capital flows and aid to Thrkey. Ifthe Community's political co-operation machinery could at the same time be brought to bear not only on distant matters such as the Middle East, Afghanistan of Central Ameriea, but on other problems closer to horne in the Aegean and Cyprus, political as weil as econornic relations could be put on a new footing. Progress on all these issues, over aperiod of some years, would create a sound basis for success in negotiations on full membership. This Report was written before Thrkey applied for full membership. The intention was to explore the history ofthrkey-ec relations, including the Association Agreement. Ifthe EC should respond negatively to the application, the work will not have been wasted. For whether Thrkey joins the EC or not, it will not go away, and relations with Turkey, in or out of the Community, will remain irnportant for the member states. This exploration of the various aspects of relations between Thrkey and the EC may therefore be regarded either as a clarification of the issues to be resolved in negotiations for entry, or as a guide to future relations between the EC and a Thrkey which is not a member. In either case, the authors believe that the politieal, economie and strategie issues examined are of the greatest importance both to Thrkey and to the European Community. Geoffrey Denton 6

Contents Goeffrey Denton Preface... 5 Ahmet Evin Introduction... 9 Part I: Political Issues Chapter 1 Cultural Issues in Relations Between Turkey and Europe... 13 Serif Mardin European Culture and the Development of Modern Turkey... 13 Ahmet 0. Evin Communitarian Structures, Values and Cultural Behaviour... 24 Chapter 2 Selim Ilkin A Short History of Turkey's Association with the European Community... 35 Chapter 3 Roswitha Bourguignon A History of the Association Agreement Between Turkey and the European Community... 51 Chapter 4 Options for Future Relations... 65 Bemard Burrows Options for Future Relations between Turkey and the EC... 65 Seyfi Ta~han The Ca se for Turkish Membership... 71 Geoffrey Denton Negotiating Turkish Membership: A Summary of Papers Submitted to the Study Group... 79 7

Chapter S Tugrul Ansay Constitutional and Legal implieations of Membership... 85 Chapter 6 Relations between Greece and Thrkey... 9S Andrew Mango Introduetion: Thrkish Foreign Policy... 95 Matthias Esche A History of Greek-Thrkish Relations... 101 Chapter 7 Maurizio Cremasco The Strategie Importanee of Relations between Thrkey and the European Community 117 Part 11: Economic Issues Chapter 8 William Haie Thrkish Agriculture and the Commom Agricultural Policy... 141 Chapter 9 William Haie Thrkish Industry and the Common Market... 153 Chapter 10 Harun Gümrükrü The Thrkish Labour Market and Migration... 167 Chapter 11 Ismet Ergün The Problem of Freedom of Movement of Thrkish Workers in the European Community... 183 Chapter 12 Geoffrey Denton Economie Implieations of Thrkish Membership for the Community... 195 Aeknowledgements... 203 Contributors.................................................................................... 204 8