Mutual incomprehension between Turkey and EU

FT.com / World / Europe

"Mutual incomprehension between Turkey and EU

By Vincent Boland

Published: August 27 2006 18:29 | Last updated: August 27 2006 18:29

The European Union information office in Istanbul, on a dingy little street just off Taksim Square in the heart of the city, looks and feels more like a second-hand clothing store than the showcase representation of Europe in Turkey. One of the gold stars in the EU symbol above the door is about to fall on to the pavement, and the street – Mete Caddesi – is darkened even on the sunniest days by the shadow of a gigantic five-star hotel, which discourages passers-by.

One recent morning the office contained precisely one bored security man, some uninteresting brochures about aspects of the EU, and a handful of blinking computer terminals. Nobody was seeking information, and there was precious little information to hand. As Cengiz Aktar, an academic at Bahcesehir University who champions Turkey’s entry to the EU, puts it: “Istanbul is the economic and intellectual capital of this country, and the fact that the EU should be represented by this dirty and badly painted building is simply appalling.”"