EUROPEUS

I listened to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's chief foreign policy adviser, Ahmet Davutoğlu, on CNN Türk last Wednesday. After hearing his remarks I realized first that relations with the European Union were considered as an exclusive foreign policy issue. Besides it was not easy to see what the amount of fertilizer to be used in agricultural products or the size of the fish to be caught has got to do with foreign policy, but let's never mind and go back to foreign politics.

The adviser announced that as soon as EU will perceive the critical weight of Turkey in terms of security policies and energy routes, today's distant approach vis-à-vis Turkey will be revised. Lets take the energy routes. To whom does Turkey sell and want to sell more, the gas and oil transferred from north, east and south? To Europe of course, as the only serious buyer. For a moment let's say EU doesn't accept Turkey's membership, where will the country sell the imported oil and gas? To Europe again! No further comment!

Power politics, an outdated concept, back in business with Russia, Iran and Co. seems to shape Davutoğlu's approach on Turkey's EU membership. However, the very foundation of the EU means a break-up with this approach that had dire consequences. A Europe wretched by wars and power struggles said �never again� in 1945. As the founding father, Jean Monnet said in early 1940s: While before my country's security and strength depended on my neighbor's insecurity in new Europe my neighbor's strength will mean my strength.

On EU-related reforms, the action plan prepared in haste at the start of 2007 and which was void of further political reform was apparently hampered by general elections and the Kurdish question. However nothing noteworthy has happened since Dec. 17, 2004, let alone this ill-fated action plan.

Another assertion was the good relations with the European Commission. So what; the decision-maker is the Council. Plus, the Commission always sides with candidate countries because success of the candidate means success of the Commission.

Technical process is going well Davutoğlu added. However the screening process or comparison of legislation naturally went well for it was impossible to happen otherwise. As for harmonization work, bureaucrats responsible for EU works are totally aimless.

Davutoğlu said the trauma anticipated with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy did not happen thanks to stern warnings. However in early May top French authorities officially informed the Turkish government that they do not want the country's full accession to EU and put this into action in early June by vetoing the opening of the �euro chapter�, yet the adviser says France has come to reason!

And he said there are problems with the Council. Of course there are. In fact in-depth consultations with friends of Turkey in Europe for building of a common strategy are at the top of the �to do list�.

There was no flaw with the performance of Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, the adviser claimed; however, negative public reaction against EU is the case, he added. Therefore it is needless to give priority to EU works, according to Davutoğlu. This is apparently done so.

At the end of the day it is crystal clear that one point cannot still be grasped and understood by the policy makers: Turkey needs EU-inspired reforms and full membership to the EU so as to reach the much desired position of a strong state by reaching first an economic as well as political stability. Just like Spain, Portugal and Greece at the time, or as the central and eastern European countries in the near past. Turkey, in this way, could gain importance in its historic neighboring. And that importance could be of political and economic and equates to a soft power of imposition. Not the muscle politics that still seems to fill the dreams of many in this country.

On the other hand the adviser's idea to follow a strategy to assign Turkey a central role in the international arena and, in his words, to influence and balance EU with our relations with the Middle East and vice versa is nothing but a pipe dream today. It sounds nice, but that's all. This tactic referred as �scaling up,� shouldn't mean Turkey, a country which is highly dependant on West economically and militarily speaking, doing the opposite of what EU and the West. Just because Turkey has no power to play such game and perhaps it will never have.

Even France or Germany has no such power. These middle-size countries are strong if they act together. As a matter of fact, despite never-ending news of Turkey's active involvement as peace broker regarding this or that international problem, to talk about an issue in which Turkey played a critical role is impossible. Except maybe the last year's Israel-Pakistan rendezvous, which it is not even clear if it will continue. Thus for Turkey the only realistic scale is the EU dimension.

Moreover what is the value of a ''peace broker'' or a less pretentious ''honest broker'' when this very country has got deep problems with at least half of its neighbors and structurally unable to solve them?

Making a deduction from all of the above that EU works are going well is impossible. But to the contrary, by reading what Davutoğlu said, together with what the Prime Minister brazened about EU works in his recent address to the nation it is possible to figure out that the government shelved EU relations, or at least dropped it off from the list of national policies and priorities.

Cengiz is head of the EU Research Center of the Bahcesehir University - Istanbul