Athens, 5 September 2006
In light of the publication of the European Commission’s report on the EU-Turkey relations, ELIAMEP organized a public debate on: “Greece-Turkey and the European Union“. Speakers included: Prof. Yannis Valinakis, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Theodoros Pagalos , Member of Parliament, PASOK, Mr. Michalis Papagiannakis , ex Member of the European Parliament, SYNASPISMOS, Ambassador Christos Zaharakis, ex Member of the European Parliament, Prof. Theodore Couloumbis, Professor Emeritus, University of Athens. The discussions was moderated by Mr. Alexis Papahelas, Journalist.
Event Report
The public discussion on Greece, Turkey and the EU was held at the Megaron Karatza of National Bank of Greece and was attended by a very large and diverse audience including politicians, journalists, diplomats, university students and interested citizens. This event report in English does not constitute a verbatim of the speakers’ positions but simply a summary of the main arguments put forward. Any errors lie with the authors of this report and may not be attributed to the speakers.
The debate was launched by the panel chair, Mr. Alexis Papahelas who underlined the pressing need to revisit Greek-Turkish relations in view of recent developments in Turkey, and to define a new framework for Greek foreign policy.
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Professor Yannis Valinakis highlighted that an unprecedented consensus amongst the main Greek political parties on the main axes of Greek foreign policy has been noted during the past years. This constitutes a significant achievement that facilitates a sound management and handling of foreign policy challenges. Greece’s strategic priority is the transformation and consolidation of Southeast Europe into a European neighborhood characterized by good-neighborly relations, security, and prosperity, based on the acquis communautaire. The Deputy Minister reiterated Greece’s support for Turkey’s EU perspective stressing that this provides Turkey with a motive to undertake further democratic reforms and frames bilateral issues within a European context. He noted that the path to accession will undoubtedly be long and difficult given that Turkey’s progress will be evaluated and assessed repeatedly by EU and its Member States (including Greece and Cyprus).
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Theodore Pangalos questioned the extent to which Turkey’s frequently intransigent behavior and bargaining mentality will be moderated with its eventual EU accession. He also questioned the extent to which Turkey will be able to match economic reforms and modernization with an improvement in the quality of its democracy. The role of public opinion and the growing strength of social Islam were also extensively discussed, as well as the extent of their influence on foreign policy formulation. Mr. Pangalos clearly positioned himself in favor of continued Greek support for Turkey’s EU accession and of a strict assessment of Turkey’s progress at every stage of the negotiations.
MEP Mr. Michael Papagiannakis pointed to the growing reticence across the EU Member States on the subject of Turkish EU membership and to the inherent difficulties towards democratization (as understood by the EU) that exist within the Turkish system (notably because of the role of the army as guardian of the kemalist principles and secularism). He also argued that a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude was not necessarily the preferred approach for Greece and Cyprus in their relations with Turkey not only because of the increasingly notable changes within Turkey, but also because of the current crisis the EU is facing and how this may affect its future shape, nature and ability to influence Turkey. He argued that there is a pressing need to engage in a bilateral in depth political dialogue with Turkey.
Former Ambassador Mr. Christos Zaharakis drew the audience’s attention to the still undefined eastern borders of the EU. He emphasized the need for the EU to determine its borders before any discussion on future enlargement may be relevant. Representing the position that Turkey does not constitute a part of Europe neither geographically nor culturally, he made the case for a special partnership promoting mutual interests between the EU and Turkey. He pointed to the economic challenges that Turkey’s accession would pose and Turkey’s continued unwillingness to respect international law even though candidate status has been granted. He also referred to the concern that membership would entail significant migration movements from Turkey to the Greek islands and border regions thereby altering the demographic constitution of Greece’s border regions. In a very critical assessment of the last seven years since the Helsinki agreement, Ambassador Zaharakis argued that Greek foreign policy towards Turkey had not achieved any benefits or led to any improvements in bilateral relations.
Professor Theodore Couloumbis critically analysed recent developments in Turkey, Cyprus and Greece and identified a number of key issues that will unavoidably influence the course of EU-Turkish, and therefore Greek-Turkish relations. In view of the 2007 presidential elections in Turkey, Professor Couloumbis stressed that the ‘window of opportunity’ for tangible progress in Turkey’s democratization process and concrete improvements in Greek-Turkish and Cypriot-Turkish relations was closing. He reiterated his support for Turkey’s future EU accession, however, in view of growing skepticism across the EU as regards Turkey’s membership and of developments within Turkey and the wider region, he noted that Turkey’s future status with/ within the EU will unavoidably be ‘special’ with long-term or even permanent exclusion clauses that will be requested on different issues by many member states. Professor Couloumbis also underlined that if the prospect of EU accession becomes less and less likely, then Turkey will most probably also become less and less prepared to undertake democratic reforms with possible knock-on effects on its relations with both Greece and Cyprus. Tying Turkey well within the process of EU enlargement with strict conditions and in a wider context of constructive trans-Atlantic relations, he argued, is the way through which to ensure stability and peace within southeastern Europe.
The debate that followed with the public concentrated on the need to address and clarify the situation in the Aegean and on a number of issues relating to the military in Turkey. It was argued that the EU must apply its conditionality criteria and assess Turkey’s progress in a fair yet strict manner in order to not tarnish its credibility and that in any case it is not possible for Turkey to expect accession if pending matters with Cyprus (admission of vessels in Turkish ports and recognition of this EU Member State) and Greece (causus belli) are not resolved. It was also stressed that irrespective of the progress and outcome of the membership negotiations, Greece and Turkey’s economic and political relations must be further expanded in order to deepen integration, relations and inter-dependence between the two countries thereby constituting any future military conflict too costly. Finally, the dangers of populist discourse in the media when addressing Greek-Turkish relations were also discussed.