Time Magazine: Fifty Years On, Turkey Still Pines to Become European - Leo Cendrowicz

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Fifty Years On, Turkey Still Pines to Become European - Leo Cendrowicz

This summer, Turkey celebrated a dubious anniversary: it was 50 years ago that the country first asked to join the European Union — or, as it was then known, the European Economic Community. Half a century on, Turkey is still waiting to be let in. In that time, other countries have joined, expanding the once six-member European club to 27. But even the most optimistic scenario says Turkey is unlikely to be part of the E.U. for at least another decade.Turkey's leaders say they remain committed to their bid, however long it takes. But patience might not be enough, according to a report published Sept. 7 by a panel of European grandees. Chaired by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a mediator, the Independent Commission on Turkey says some E.U. leaders are mining popular fears over the specter of Turkish membership. "Attacks on the E.U.-Turkey process [have become] a proxy for popular concerns about immigration, worries about jobs, fears of Islam and a general dissatisfaction with the E.U.," the report says. "Negative statements by some European leaders ... and obstacles put in the way of the negotiations have all but derailed the process."

This hostility has not been missed by the Turkish. Support in Turkey for membership fell from over 70% in 2004 to 42% by the end of last year. The sense of being excluded has further demoralized Turkish reformers, the report says, leading to "a regrettable slowdown in the reform process" that is a condition of membership. This, in turn, feeds skeptics in European countries who point to the lack of reforms as proof that Turkey is unworthy of joining the E.U.