Abant Platform Realized at a Good Time
Abant Platform had organized a two-day conference, which examined every aspect of Turkey-European Union (EU) relations carefully in the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels, two weeks before the historic December 17 Summit.
The Abant Platform had tried to answer many questions about Turkey at a time when Europe was intensively discussing Turkey. It was good timing. Now, Abant Platform laid issues down to the table such as "identity, cultural pluralism, secularism-republic-Islam and what kind of a Europe" in a hall which can only be accessed by passing police barricades due to student riots in France. These meetings coincide with a time when Europe is in a serious identity crisis, when conscious tests show a tendency to spread and when Europe shows increasing tendencies to seclude itself.
The timing is good when also considered particularly from France's aspect. Abant discussions coincide with a time when a group of EU members, mainly France, are making attempts to extend Turkey's EU membership negotiations, which have not actually started, by bringing some "political criteria". In such an environment, it is very satisfactory that the majority of the French participants find the EU's, mainly France's policies towards Turkey inconsistent and unfair.
While participation of one of the world's greatest sociologists Professor, Alain Touraine, in the Abant meetings is of utmost importance, the philosophical support that he gives Turkey's EU membership is also worth emphasizing. Professor Touraine told that some Europeans claim that "The Old Continent has a single culture", which is very deceptive pointing out that Europe can have a pluralist culture only with Turkey. He said EU's attitude about Turkey was "ambiguous and unclear" and accused the EU.
It is not a common attitude in the European public for French participants' to accuse Brussels of many of the problems in Turkey-EU relations. A French spokesman pointed out that the Cyprus Greek side was accepted in the EU although it was in the eastern part of Ankara and some of the EU members became neighbors even with Brasilia due to oversea islands. His statement was very important in showing how some of the EU members' allegations were ridiculous while finding excuses before Turkey's membership.
Alexandre Adler gave the best answer to those who defend that Turkey does not belong to the European cultural family. The famous historian and journalist told Istanbul was perceived as the most European city for those who escaped from fascism while Hitler, Mussolini and Franco were ruling Europe in the 1930s. Naming Turkey a "small China", Adler related problems between Turkey and the EU to the ruling nihilism in Europe.
Abant Platform has taken an important step by bringing French and Turkish intellectuals around the same table. Considering that France is one of the countries opposing Turkey's EU membership, it is very important to continue this process initiated by the Abant Platform. (By Selcuk Gultasli, Paris)
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