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| Volume XIV, Spring 2007, Number 1 |
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ABSTRACT
Turkey’s Floundering EU Candidacy and Its Kurdish Problem
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| Michael M. Gunter |
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Professor of political science, Tennessee Technological University
On October 3, 2005, Turkey’s longstanding Kurdish problem potentially entered a new phase when the European Union formally initiated accession negotiations with Turkey. Although this process promises to be long and arduous, it also represents a watershed opportunity for the solution of Turkey’s Kurdish problem. The Copenhagen Criteria required for EU membership mandate the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and protection of minority rights. There is no bargaining on these criteria. Turkey is required to accept them for entry into the EU. For all Turkish citizens (ethnic Turks and ethnic Kurds alike) who want to fulfill Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s ultimate goal of achieving contemporary civilization4, EU membership for Turkey would be a win/win situation because it would guarantee truly democratic Kurdish rights within the confines of Turkey’s territorial integrity.
Turkey’s EU candidacy would also help put the lie to the clash-of-civilizations thesis5 of inevitable war and even Armageddon between the Christian West and Islamic East. As a member of the EU, Turkey would offer the Muslim world an attractive moderate model of cooperation and prosperity with the West that would benefit all. In addition, young, hardworking Turkish immigrants will help solve Europe’s population problem of a zero growth rate not being sufficient to support the EU’s welfare states. Furthermore, Turkey’s geostrategic access to the gas and oil supplies of the Middle East and Central Asia will make Turkey invaluable for the EU’s future energy needs as well as providing alternative energy routes to Europe.
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