| FROM CHIEF | Murat SARAYLI |
| Chairman of the Board of TUGIAD/Confedereration of Young European Businessmen (YES) |
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NEGOTIATION PROCESS DURING TURKEY’S JOURNEY INTO EU |
Turkey’s EU process, in this new stage, is being evaluated under four topics. The first topic is the technical process of the negotiations. The promotion and detailed scanning of 33 negotiation topics will be smoothly and timely completed. In the current stage where the legal legislations are being compared, Turkey is doing its homework well. These stages have been completed for the Science and Research as well as the Education and Research chapters and negotiations have started with the Science and research chapter. The same process will apply for the other chapters. The second topic is the steps of Turkey in fields where harmonisation is required and particularly the democratization practices and more generally, the continuation of the reform process of Turkey. EU warns Turkey from time to time about issue and states that reforms and implementations have slowed down after 3 October. The third important issue is the political relations between EU and Turkey. Some of the EU members, namely France, Denmark, Greece and Southern Cyprus try to slow down the negotiation process with various pretexts. Cyprus issue becomes the most important topic in these relations. EU imposes as a red line Turkey’s keeping its promise made on 3 October and the ratification by Turkish parliament of the additional protocol related to Cyprus. This problem is not likely to be solved in the near future. The fourth topic is the enthusiasm and support of Turkish people for EU membership. Various polls show that there is a diminution in the enthusiasm of Turkish people for EU membership. But, this diminution is quite normal when compared with other countries, in this stage of intense technical negotiations.
The negotiation process for full accession is the period of preparation for EU membership of all public and private institutions in Turkey. One pillar of the negotiation process is the harmonisation of the legal framework. And the second pillar is the institutional harmonisation with EU. In that context, the works carried out to achieve the harmonisation of administrative capacity of all the institutions are going on and this will take a certain time. The harmonisation process for certain private sector institutions has already started with the customs union. But, there is still a need to harmonisation with the undertaking to comply with the whole EU Acquis. The private sector institutions will have to ensure harmonisation to the new framework from labour environment to environmental conditions, from competition laws to consumers’ health, from intellectual and patent rights to government supports. We observe some private sector efforts to achieve this goal, but these are limited and particularly SMEs information, technical, legal and financial needs are important. Turkey’s and its institutions will be ready for EU within the expected timeframe, with the technical and financial helps of EU during the negotiation process.
Among the topics Turkey has to focus on in its relations with EU, the following two issues stands particularly out. Firstly; actually Turkey is not sufficiently known in Europe. To solve that problem, public authorities have to make incentive and encouraging works to help NGOs creating project with the support of various funds. Relevant public institutions should create, for promotion purposes, information channels targeting our second generation citizens living particularly in EU and encourage and even lead various initiatives which could mobilise them. Secondly; Turkey needs to create information pools both for its citizens living in EU and citizens living in Turkey but having commercial, cultural and other relations with EU and to establish institutions that would assist citizens in need to find any required information and to make any investigation for defending their rights. Because Turkey -with its existing institutions- doesn’t seem to be able to defend the rights of its own citizens outside Turkey. To that effect, the Italian ‘Patronati Model” that could inspire Turkey should be studied. The cases before International Court of Justice that have resulted in favour of Turkish citizens should be studied and on the basis of such an analysis, the future process should be planned. We have to understand very well that EU is a union of negotiations and know that the negations will go on even after the full accession without coming to an end. There are speculations on the issues like the loos of national identity with the accession to EU membership. But we have to know that, actually in EU a Portuguese is still a Portuguese, a French is still a French and a German is still a German. There is no backward step from national identity… Furthermore, we can say that the always ongoing negotiation processes on rights keep national identities continuously alive. But, what is more important is to continue and develop the culture of co-existence and conciliation. What the most important in all these processes is that, if you don’t follow up and defend your rights, Turkey won’t be granted its rights before or after the accession, as any other country hasn’t been. It’s a fact that the process we experience is a tough one, but this process will make Turkey more powerful in the future.
We see European Union as a project of peace and civilisation the core of which is the happiness of people. We think that a European Union with Turkey will serve not only to European but also to regional and world peace and we assume this mission. TUGIAD, with the conscience of the responsibility incumbent to it, has been considering Turkey’s accession to EU as a privileged item of its agenda from the beginning on and carrying out effective lobbying, promotion, training and awareness-raising works both in Turkey and abroad. The fact that TUGIAD was elected in 2004 to the Chairmanship of the European Confederation of Young (YES) and that all the member countries asked us to continue the chairmanship function, is a successful example of our international efforts. TUGIAD, as the chairman of European young entrepreneurs represents the power of Turkish young entrepreneurs both before European Council and European Parliament. TUGIAD has always done and will continue to do everything it can do to fulfil Turkey’s responsibilities in its journey to become a member of EU and follow up its rights already acquired and to be acquired.
With this new issue, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of our review ELEGANS, one of our windows to the public, which was always in company with TUGIAD during its difficult journey of twenty years. Founded in 1986 by its founders having a large vision that enable them to foresee not only the day, but also the tomorrows, TUGIAD is one of the leading NGOs of Turkey. Elegans which was launched the same year has been very successful in its long and hard journey and has acquired an important place in the world of publications. In Turkey and particularly in the publication industry, it is a rare success for a review to renew itself and survive 20 years long until today. On this occasion, I congratulate on the personality of Tayfun YUMAK all the staff of Elegans. Tayfun YUMAK is our member since 1989 and has already made great contributions in various functions in TUGIAD management. I wish many more 20 years all together and hand-in-hand…
