Turkey: No EU in Erdogan's 2023 programme, controversy
President Gul believes Europe should top Ankara's priorities
(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, October 2 - Where is the Turkey of 'sultan' Recep Tayyp Erdogan going - towards the EU, Eurasia or the Middle East, questioned press reports in Ankara after a surprising congress of the Justice and Development party (AKP) of the Islamic nationalist premier in power since 2002 at which Europe was completely ignored.
For the first time the country's leader - who has been in power for ten years and always with polls indicating 50% of the population would be voting for him - never mentioned in his three-hour-long speech Turkey's EU membership candidature. Even in the 70-page manifesto of AKP for 2023 - the 100th anniversary of the foundation of modern Turkey by Ataturk - doesn't discuss Europe, aside from briefly mentioning confirmation of the country's candidature to EU membership, pro-government daily Zaman noted.
The premier has instead insisted a dozen times on the country's Islamic values and on the relations with sibling countries in the Middle East and the ex-Ottoman territories 'from Baku to Sarajevo, from Arbil to Kabul, from Ramallah to Tripoli', wrote Hurriyet.
Is the absence of Europe the sign of an Islamic and Middle-Eastern development in the 'new' Turkey of Erdogan, an authoritarian and volatile premier who wants to stay in power until 2023? Or, according to the interpretation of Egemen Bagis, the minister for European affairs, a sort of 'warning' to the EU which has been pushing forward membership talks at an extremely slow pace ever since their inception in 2005? According to analyst Ahmet Hakan, the explanation is mid-way and must be read according to the strategy of the 'new Erdogan'. He considers himself, according to Hakan, as a man with an historic mission.
He is dreaming of re-gaining influence over the area controlled by the Ottoman empire, he believes the Turkish-Muslim nation has born again. The premier also thinks he will be the one to end 100 years of the country's elite government and perceives any criticism as an attempt to halt his great mission.
Zaman today ran a headline saying that 'the AKP has set aside the EU goal in its long-term foreign perspective'. Several analysts are questioning Erdogan's vision of a Middle-Eastern power more Islamic and further removed from Europe.
'Turkey would risk losing its predominant role in the region if it distanced itself from Europe and postponed EU membership', warned Mustafa Kutlay, a political analyst with the Usak research centre in Ankara.
And Europe is also at the centre of tensions between the head of state, the Muslim moderate Abdullah Gul who asked parliament to continue to consider the EU as a great priority for the country, and the prime minister who hopes to take his place at the presidential Cankaya palace in 2014.
For the first time the country's leader - who has been in power for ten years and always with polls indicating 50% of the population would be voting for him - never mentioned in his three-hour-long speech Turkey's EU membership candidature. Even in the 70-page manifesto of AKP for 2023 - the 100th anniversary of the foundation of modern Turkey by Ataturk - doesn't discuss Europe, aside from briefly mentioning confirmation of the country's candidature to EU membership, pro-government daily Zaman noted.
The premier has instead insisted a dozen times on the country's Islamic values and on the relations with sibling countries in the Middle East and the ex-Ottoman territories 'from Baku to Sarajevo, from Arbil to Kabul, from Ramallah to Tripoli', wrote Hurriyet.
Is the absence of Europe the sign of an Islamic and Middle-Eastern development in the 'new' Turkey of Erdogan, an authoritarian and volatile premier who wants to stay in power until 2023? Or, according to the interpretation of Egemen Bagis, the minister for European affairs, a sort of 'warning' to the EU which has been pushing forward membership talks at an extremely slow pace ever since their inception in 2005? According to analyst Ahmet Hakan, the explanation is mid-way and must be read according to the strategy of the 'new Erdogan'. He considers himself, according to Hakan, as a man with an historic mission.
He is dreaming of re-gaining influence over the area controlled by the Ottoman empire, he believes the Turkish-Muslim nation has born again. The premier also thinks he will be the one to end 100 years of the country's elite government and perceives any criticism as an attempt to halt his great mission.
Zaman today ran a headline saying that 'the AKP has set aside the EU goal in its long-term foreign perspective'. Several analysts are questioning Erdogan's vision of a Middle-Eastern power more Islamic and further removed from Europe.
'Turkey would risk losing its predominant role in the region if it distanced itself from Europe and postponed EU membership', warned Mustafa Kutlay, a political analyst with the Usak research centre in Ankara.
And Europe is also at the centre of tensions between the head of state, the Muslim moderate Abdullah Gul who asked parliament to continue to consider the EU as a great priority for the country, and the prime minister who hopes to take his place at the presidential Cankaya palace in 2014.
__._,_.___
Posts
