"We Will Understand What The E.U. Is
BY SEMIH IDIZ
MILLIYET- On the one hand the European Union promises higher standards of living, and on the other, it opened certain paradigms of the republic up for debate. Over the last year we’ve suffered from problems deriving from this dilemma. It’s not hard to predict that these problems will grow in 2006 and cause us to experience periodic crises with the EU. For example, the EU voiced approval for the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) without knowing its true nature, then saw what happened after the implementation of Article 301, and now is seeking its annulment. People in Turkey opposed to the EU say that they want to make it free to insult Turkishness. Actually, they’re right, because they say that people in the EU can insult Turkishness as much as they can insult being British or German as part of freedom of thought. This is hard for Turkey to swallow. Therefore, the meaning of EU membership will be understood better and maybe certain dreams will be given up in 2006. Actually, Ankara was getting angry when others mentioned the ‘special relationship’ formula but we ourselves might bring it up in 2006. This is embedded in the stance of ‘the EU should take our special conditions into consideration,’ which is expressed by circles calling themselves nationalists. In turn, the EU says that it doesn’t have to consider a country’s special conditions vis-a-vis basic principles and that those who want to take part in the bloc must comply with its conditions."
More:The Anatolia Times-We Will Understand What The E.U. Is