Britannia Radio

Erdogan and Putin joke about the EU

Erdogan gave an interview to Turkey's Kanal24 television recently. The interview was dominated by developments in Syria but at one point Erdogan was asked about the EU. He complained that Sarkozy and Merkel had brought Turkey's bid to a standstill and then mentioned an offer he made to Putin in a recent trip to Russia. He told Putin this: "You often ask me what Turkey wants to accomplish by joining the EU. Now it's my turn to have a little fun with you. If you want us to write off the EU then let us join the Shanghai Five."

The reaction from editorials is mixed. Milliyet's foreign policy writer Sami Kohen agrees with the PM on many counts. The EU negotiation process has come to a complete stop and the Greek Cypriot presidency made progress impossible. Meanwhile, the EU is facing social and economic collapse while Turkey is growing fast and gaining influence all over the world. He also agrees that Turkey should cooperate with organisations outside Europe. However he draws the line at writing off the EU in favour of joining the Shanghai Five. He believes that the EU still offered greater economic opportunities and that it represents a vision of modernity to Turkey.

http://dunya.milliyet.com.tr/basbakan-in-sakasi/dunya/dunyayazardetay/28.07.2012/1572962/default.htm

Kerim Balci, a columnist from the Zaman, is less subjective in his assessment. He points out that the Shaghai Five was renamed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after Kyrgyzstan joined bringing the number of members up to six. He is concerned that the Shanghai Five is intended more as a competitor of NATO than the EU, making it an unsuitable replacement unless it is worth offending America. ASEAN would be a better option, he says. His objection is that the acquis implements standards of quality (down to bacteria count in a bottle of milk) that is unequalled by any international organisation. On the other hand, he sees Turkey's 'Dailogue Partner' status in the Shanghai Five as a very valuable asset, particularly because Turkey happens to be a NATO member. He concludes that it is better to pursue both objectives.

http://www.zaman.com.tr/yazar.do?yazino=1323770&title=avrupa-birligine-karsi-sanghay-beslisi