Britannia Radio

6 February 2013 /TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL

Kemal Derviş, the vice president of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and a former minister of economic affairs of Turkey, recently said that Turkey should become part of a single European market, but not the Schengen zone.

Commenting that Turkey's European Union membership bid should be similar to that of Britain, he said: "I think it is feasible to seek a position similar to Britain's. Being a full EU member is not feasible for either Europe or Turkey; being part of Schengen would prevent Turkey from freely interacting with the Middle East countries."

Mentioning recent debates in Turkey about abandoning the EU membership process, Derviş highlighted the fact that the government should not take the opinions of European politicians into account and certainly not give up on the bid to become an EU member country. "It was apparent in a recent survey that 66 percent of Arabs also support Turkey's EU membership, and appreciate Turkey representing the voice of the Muslim world in the West. We should continue our role as a link between the East and the West."

Furthermore, Derviş stressed that the future of the EU is anticipated to bring new membership models which could be an opportunity for Turkey, and said: "This way Turkey won't have to put in too much effort toward achieving integration yet will still be a member country. Such a membership should not be seen as a second-class membership, but it is simply a more suitable one for both sides."

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-306302-dervis-turkey-should-seek-part-in-eu-market-but-not-schengen.html