Truth and consequences
That’s the message Turkish leaders are getting from two different sides right now — the European Union and Pope Benedict.
Turkey wants badly to become a member of the EU. They’ve had a lot of resistance from some European nations, and that’s increasing. As I mentioned the other day, their bid for that entry suffered a setback right before Benedict’s arrival, coincidentally, over Turkey’s treatment of Cyprus. Today, it sank further.
Prospects for Turkish membership in the European Union dimmed Wednesday with recommendations to suspend key areas of negotiation, even as Pope Benedict XVI and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain urged sending positive signals to Ankara.
I’ll get back to that Pope Benedict signal part in a moment…
Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner, said Turkey had failed to keep its promise to open up trade with another EU member, Cyprus, and that gave the EU little option but to recommending freezing about a quarter of the negotiation program.
“The ball is now in Turkey’s court,” said Rehn. “Failure to meet legal obligations cannot remain without consequences.”
The Pope is now in Turkey’s land, too, which is amazing timing. Put this in perspective.
Talks with Turkey began 13 months ago but have stumbled over the four-decade-long standoff with Cyprus over the status of the Mediterranean island. Turkey does not recognize the Cypriot government and backs the Turkish Cypriot mini-state, which it alone recognizes. Deep-seated skepticism in some parts of Europe such as France, Germany and Austria about the costs economically and politically of integrating a large and predominately Muslim nation into the European family also have cast doubts about the eventual outcome of talks.
Turkey has dragged its heels over calls to give media and religious organization more freedoms, further stirring doubts about its candidacy.
Membership in the EU would require Turkey to follow the common union rules, which means granting these freedoms they’re unwilling to grant. But that’s not all…
On Wednesday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer of Turkey vetoed a law required by the EU which would improve the property rights of non-Muslim religious minorities, the president’s office said, Reuters reported.
How can Turkish government officials violate these rights and requirements, and still expect entry into the union whose laws they will not accept? Some of Turkey’s backers in this bid hope that by becoming a member of the EU, that Muslim country will have to grant new freedoms and improve its trade restrictions, among other benefits.
Seeking to shore up support for Turkey amid fears that an EU decision to slow the entry talks would cause an irreparable rift, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain on Wednesday rallied encouraged EU governments to look beyond such concerns.
Blair warned it would be “a serious mistake for Europe long-term” to quash the ambition of Turkey to join Europe.
And then, the report about Benedict’s ‘reversal’ on Turkey and the EU.
Reversing earlier personal objections to Turkish membership, the pope on Tuesday said dialogue between Turkey and the European Union should lead to integration with Europe.
Did he? Here’s the story:
A front-page headline story in today’s New York Times announces that Pope Benedict XVI endorsed Turkey’s bid for membership in the European Union. If accurate, that story would show a complete reversal of the Pontiff’s position. But is it entirely accurate?
After meeting briefly with the Pope at the airport outside Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters about the Pope’s new position. According to Erdogan, as quoted by the Times: “He said, ‘You know we don’t have a political role, but we wish for Turkey’s entry into the EU.'”
Notice: The announcement came from the Turkish premier. The Pope himself made no public statement on the topic. In fact, Benedict XVI has not spoken on that subject since his election to the papacy in April 2005.
The Pope’s last public comments on Turkey’s aspirations for EU membership were made in September 2004, when he was speaking not as Roman Pontiff but as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. At that time, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro he remarked that Turkey’s Islamic culture put the country “in permanent contrast to Europe.” To date, he explained, the European Union has been composed of nations that share a common Christian cultural background. Expanding the EU to include Turkey, he said, “would mean a loss of richness, the disappearance of the cultural for the benefit of the economic.”
The force of those words was not lost on Turkey’s government leaders. Last year, when the newly elected Pope indicated a desire to visit Turkey, to join the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew for the feast of St. Andrew, Turkish authorities declined to approve the visit. Better to wait a year, they told the Pontiff. There was little doubt, either in Ankara or in Rome, that the rebuff was an expression of pique over the Pope’s earlier comments.
Still, from the time of his election as Pope, Benedict remained silent about the Turkish application. As he prepared for this week’s visit, and questions about EU membership were raised again and again, his silence became conspicuous.
Was there any hint about the Vatican’s position on Turkey’s application, then? Yes, there was.
On November 27, the day before the Pope began his visit, the director of the Vatican press office addressed the issue directly, in an interview with Turkish journalists. Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said since that Turkey’s application was a political issue, the Holy See would not take a stand. However, he added, it would make sense for Turkey to join the EU, if— and note this condition carefully— if the Turkish government met the usual standards for EU membership, on questions such as human rights and religious freedom.
There’s that message again. Truth and consequences.
So now Prime Minister Erdogan claims that he has the Pope’s backing, but in fact the Pope still has not spoken. The Vatican can still argue, plausibly and consistently, that Turkey must fulfill all the human-rights standards embraced by the European Union. And during the remaining days of his visit, Pope Benedict can continue to drive home the message that a truly democratic nation respects the religious freedom of its people.
In context that papal message— which the Holy Father delivered repeatedly during the 1st day of his trip— can now be seen as a diplomatic reminder. The Holy See will look with favor on Turkey’s bid for EU membership: IF….
That’s a big IF. Big enough to carry off a smooth and, so far, successful visit to the land of St. Andrew by the successor of St. Peter, with the whole world watching.
