MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff visits Turkey

Alexander Count LAMBSDORFF, Member of the European Parliament visited Turkey from August 11 to 14, amid the debates over Turkey’s accession to the European Union are becoming more intense with the victory of Islamic rooted AKP, Justice and Development Party success at the general election held on 22 July 07.

During his visit Count LAMBSDORFF met with the members of the academic community, politicians and civil society organizations working and collaborating with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Turkey Office. While informing about the positions of the Liberal Group in European Parliament and the German Liberal Party regarding the accession of Turkey to the EU, he also had the opportunity of learning first hand about the recent political developments in Turkey.

Alexander Count Lambsdorff MEP and Former Turkish Foreign Minister Ilter Turkmen at a round table discussion in Bodrum

A roundtable meeting was held in Bodrum with a group made up of prominent political scientists, journalists and Former Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Ýlter Turkmen. All participants provided an informal platform for Mr. Lambsdorff to learn of the Turkish intellectuals’ assessments of the current state of EU-Turkey relationships and the possible implications on EU-Turkish relationship, the second AKP government and the election of a president from the same party.

While the AKP’s landslide victory was warmly welcomed by the European Union circles -since it is the only party in Turkey giving priority to the accession process- Mr. Lambsdorff witnessed the serious concerns of secular groups and their sceptical expectations for the future of country.

Alexander Count Lambsdorff MEP, Cem Toker, chairman of LDP and Jörg Dehnert, Resident Representative talking with Turkish journalists

At a Liberal Democrat Party local organization meeting held in Ýzmir, Mr. Lambsdorff made a long and detailed presentation about the future of the European Union and the possible accession of Turkey. In his presentation he informed the audience about the expected changes in the structural and decision making systems of the EU to be concluded with the Reform Treaty.

Mr. Lambsdorff said that after many years of observation of some members’ refrain to join the Euro-zone, the common foreign and defense policies, which prevented the EU to make the expected global impact matching with its economic power, enforced EU leaders to prepare the needed legal framework, the Reform Treaty, which would allow the two-speed Europe .

According to Mr. Lambsdorff, focusing on the established goals of the EU, two-speed Europe could become a reality with some countries developing deeper integration on foreign and defense policy and security policies including military structures, while the other countries will remain on the periphery.

FNF Resident Representative in Turkey, Jörg Dehnert, Alexander Lambsdorff MEP and Özgül Erdemli, member of the ARI board at a round table discussion in Istanbul

During his talks in the room of ARI Movement, Mr. Lambsdorff has learnt that Turkish people often claimed that EU-Turkey relations were not based on shared interest. Thus EU has benefited much more than Turkey, and EU did not demonstrate a clear willingness to include Turkey. Furthermore a lot of prejudices would exist in Europe which similarly influence and dominate EU policy towards Turkey, particularly concerning Turkish human rights and civil liberties.

Members of partner institutions of FNF also informed the visitor about the alternative political choices on Turkey’s agenda, such as Turkey’s strategic relationship with Russia, Turkey’s Eurasian Dimension and Turkey’s Middle East relations which are becoming more attractive particularly in some official circles. They warned that a breakdown in EU-Turkey relations would encourage alternative political strategies, risking traditional westernization policies.
Mr. Lambsdorff responded by explaining the complexity of the EU decision making procedures and the difficulties to reach a compromise on a common approach in enlargement policies, and stressed the weight of the shared misperceptions of both sides. By accepting the lack of knowledge about the other, he said that the only intense efforts to discover the other could be the best to tackle this problem.
By stressing the special place of Turkey, Mr. Lambsdorff said that a European Turkey that respects human rights and the rule of law could be a well developed model for the Middle East and a bridge between Europe and the Islamic world.

Regarding the reform process in Turkey, Mr. Lamsdorff, recognized the legislative reforms already enacted in the country, but criticized Turkey for lagging behind in the implementations of these reforms especially with respect to the fight against discrimination of religious and ethnic minorities, continuing influence of the army in politics and the judicial system.

During discussion about the amendments to be initiated soon by the new government in Turkey, Mr. Lambsdorff also advised that the new constitution should have to ensure full compatibility with the European Convention for Human Rights, good governance principles, and multi-ethnic structure of Turkish community.