"New artificial agenda: Islamic foreign policy
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
You must have noticed the fact that the European Union has been off the public agenda for some time.
Cengiz Aktar
You must have noticed the fact that the European Union has been off the public agenda for some time. The historical, political and legal reforms realized by the government and the string of harmonization packages passed before Dec. 17, 2004 produced a previously unknown degree of optimism and self-confidence in the country. With the gradual deceleration of the EU efforts, this encouraging environment has disappeared only to be replaced with the daily tribulations Turkey is used to. However, a new artificial problem was introduced: The domination of Islamic considerations in foreign relations, messages sent to the world and the domestic debates that follow. The cartoon and the Hamas crises showed how manifest this new perception was."
More:New artificial agenda: Islamic foreign policy - Turkish Daily News Feb 21, 2006
