Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek: "The only reason for Turkey’s entry to the EU is to become a country of European values"
These days a first question for the Turkish Finance Minister, Dr. Mehmet Simsek, is a quite obvious one about the global economic crisis and its impact on Turkey. He stresses that his country hasn't particularly suffered from the crisis and the Turkish banking system is stable and has registered 19% profit margins un 2008. The Turkish finance minister mostly painted a rosy picture of the Turkish economy: positive macroeconomic numbers, low inflation rates, but couldn't deny the high levels of unemployment.
Why does Turkey wish to become a member of the EU?
Turkey’s EU accession process is essentially Turkey's modernisation process. The European Union, in my opinion, should be proud of having the economic, political and social engine of transformation in eastern Europe and to some extent, in Turkey. The only thing we want from European leaders and the European Union is to allow the accession process to remain as the engine of transformation for Turkey, as well. So, for us the journey to European Union is more relevant, more meaningful, and more significant than mere membership. We will not accept any other offer than full membership. Europe needs Turkey, and of course, Turkey needs Europe.
Why should the EU welcome Turkey?
We are critical to Europe in terms of many issues. If Europe wishes to see the existing problems in Turkey quickly resolved then it must keep Turkey at its side. If Europe is genuinely interested in energy supply then it needs Turkey. If Europe is genuinely and sincerely interested in dialogue between West and East, wouldn’t this be the best way to show such interest? We don’t need European money. We will be positively contributing to the EU budget. Turkey is the sixth largest economy in Europe. What would Europe lose, if it allows Turkey to continue its accession process, transform its legal system, transform its institutional infrastructure and catch up with Europe?
There are serious questions in the European Parliament, also from MEP’s in favour of Turkey’s EU membership, about freedom of religion, freedom of speech, press freedom etcetera. They don’t understand why Turkey is not moving faster on these issues.
With the European Parliament elections in sight some European leaders, not all of them, want to use the issue of Turkey’s membership for domestic political purposes. I understand why. But let’s be honest: the European transformation process is not easy (by the way change is never easy) and you need public support for it. Of course we can implement reforms. But I think with European backing, they will be more structured, more systematic and more durable. Don’t forget we have a very complex history and a complex political system, therefore, we ask our European friends: let us use the European Union vision to continue, to create a more democratic, a more prosperous and a secular society in this country. Yes, we may have difficulties, we may have different cultures, religion, but we wish to share common values with our European friends. And I think that should be the only standard. Nobody is perfect, Turkey is not perfect. We have a lot to do, we have a long way to go.
Sarkozy and Merkel said recently, we can’t accept Turkey as a full member if the European Union but we can give Turkey the status of privileged membership. Why don’t you accept this?
We can not accept that, we want a first class membership. And what is a privileged membership? Nobody so far has given a clear description what privileged membership is. Turkey has been a full member of the EU Consumers Union, since 1996. So, all goods produced in Turkey are exported to Europe tax free and all goods from Europe are exported to Turkey tax free. That’s what privileged membership means, but it exists already! And let’s be honest, the final decision about Turkish EU membership will be the decision of the European and the Turkish peoples. Maybe the Turkish people, X years from now, will say, “well, we have a first rate democracy, we have a first rate economy and first rate institutions. Why do we need to join the European Union?”
Some members of the European Parliament say that only a small part of Turkey is European, the other, largest part is in Asia.
In terms of Turkey not being in Europe, let’s have a look at the map. EU memberstate Cyprus is situated east of Ankara and not so far from the Syrian coast. EU memberstate Malta is closer to the African continent than to Italy. So, really, it is not about physical location. It is about corresponding common values. And let’s have a look to the new eastern European memberstates. They came out of communism and their road to the EU was much easier. Many things could change in those countries within a short period of time. But Turkey is built on Ottoman ruins. It has had a complex history for the past 300 years, rife with fears. Let me refer to our fears because not only Europeans have fears. We have strong forces in this country who want to maintain status-quo and forces who want to change only gradually. I agree with our European friends that gradualism is not the way forward.
Do you believe there will be a change in the end?
As I said before, we have problems. Turkey has a complicated domestic political system and there are many other problems. But change is happening! My mother and my father couldn’t read and write; they were illiterate. They couldn’t speak a word of Turkish. I couldn’t speak a word in Turkish when I was young. (The minister is of Kurdish origin – N.P.K.) Now my nephews and nieces are going to university. If they would have told me twenty years ago that Turkey would have the changes and initiatives we have today I would have told them they were completely crazy to harbour such expectations.
