The Marmara Group Foundation regards the European Union project as a peace project. When we evaluate the year 2014, it is clear that EU membership will bring gains to Turkey. However, the benefits for the European Union will not be any less. FOR THE VIEWS OF THE MARMARA GROUP FOUNDATION ON TURKEY-EU RELATIONS IN 2014, PLEASE CLICK THE OFFICIAL LINK.
As the Marmara Group Foundation, we see our membership in the European Union not only as a right but also as an opportunity and necessity for both Europe and Turkey.
We evaluate the European Union project as the peace project of our era.
In December 1964, Turkey enacted an association agreement with what was then called the "European Economic Community" (EEC), and in 1995 established the Customs Union.
Later, at the EU Summit in December 1999, Turkey was granted candidate country status. Accession negotiations with Turkey began on 3 October 2005.
The European Commission launched a positive agenda to bring a new perspective and dynamism to the negotiations. The first meeting took place on 17 May 2012 in Ankara.
Of course, the positive agenda is only a supportive, developmental, and good-faith but temporary measure and can never replace the actual negotiations. For this, it is essential to remove the political criteria blocking the negotiation process between the EU and Turkey.
Another important point we find necessary to mention is the statement by Jean Claude Juncker, the new President of the European Commission who took office on 1 November 2014, that "there will be no new EU member in the next five years" after his election. This expression is unfortunate and unnecessary. By saying that the European Union will not expand for five years, Juncker signals that he will ignore the Balkans for at least five years. We believe this assessment is not in line with the EU philosophy nor appropriate for the European perspective.
THE EU PROCESS MUST BE DEPOLITICIZED
Along with this historical observation, the requirement to recognize the Cyprus state, which is among the political criteria, has over time become a reason blocking all negotiations.
This blockage, the EU's indifference towards Turkey, and the political criteria imposed have caused the Turkish people's interest and support for the EU to drop from over 75% in 2004 to around 17% today.
On the other hand, Turkey's political and financial policies in the EU negotiation process are realistic. Unfortunately, the European Union applies double standards towards Turkey. Therefore, a regression is observed in Turkey-EU relations as of today. However, caution is needed regarding this notion of regression.
Because Turkey is not moving away from the EU; on the contrary, especially in recent years, the EU has acted contrary to its own values. The will shown by the Turkish Cypriot side during the 2004 Annan Plan process and afterwards regarding the Cyprus issue, contrasted with the uncompromising stance of the Greek Cypriots, was interpreted unilaterally by EU leaders, and as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan put it, "the Greek Cypriots who said no to the solution were almost rewarded." This approach has increased Turkey's doubts about the EU's sincerity. If foreign policy advances on the basis of mutual "perceptions," it can be said that the EU today is making the mistake of entering a perception that "others" Turkey. It is Turkey's right, I believe, to ask EU officials who emphasize that "othering" is not part of the EU's value system whether there is a shift in thought and value standards within the EU.
EUROPE IS NOT JUST A CONTINENT
Europe is a continent only according to geographers. However, when the borders of the values it represents are drawn, a very different map of Europe emerges, including oceans.
Essentially, everywhere that is thought of and acted upon as European is Europe. Therefore, Europe is a value system.
Turkey made its choice in favor of this value system about a hundred years ago.
Thus, with our Republic founded in 1923 and our constitution enacted in 1924, we have charted our roadmap based on European values.
Our geographical and historical rights make our European identity indisputable.
The area and population of our provinces of Istanbul, Tekirdağ, Çanakkale, Kırklareli, and Edirne on the continent exceed those of many EU member countries.
Regarding our historical ties, since it is impossible to erase history, we should not turn past events into an endless source of hostility but rather approach the future with support and a spirit of peace.
Just like the Franco-German rapprochement!
EUROPEAN PEACE MUST BE SOUGHT TOGETHER
Because instead of remembering Germany, which caused the deaths of millions of Europeans in World War II, as it was 70 years ago, if on 6 June 2014, at the France unity event, Obama and Putin, Merkel and Hollande, along with thirteen other countries, could stand side by side, this is further proof of the correctness of the European Union project.
For this reason, as the Marmara Group Foundation and the Turkish Nation, we evaluate the European Union project as the peace project of our era. We value the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union. In fact, the European Union as an institution is perhaps the most comprehensive peace project in human history. The EU institution has provided an opportunity for the English and French, Germans and Italians, Dutch and Belgians, who fought each other for centuries, to live together in peace. Despite all this success, the European Union remains a continental project. Turkey's membership will globalize this continental value and transform the European Union into a global peace project.
We emphasize that Turkey, with its unique strategic position and successful proactive foreign policy regionally and globally, is ambitious in making the European Union's continental peace project global. If Turkey becomes an EU member, the European Union will be a successful example institution in global peace.
This unity, established by European states integrating with each other, is an expression of a long-term strategic vision developed after World War II.
If we wish that what happened in Bosnia 20 years ago does not happen again, we must include the Balkans into the European Union as a whole as soon as possible. The main element of that whole is Turkey.
It is wrong and incomplete to consider the components of the Balkans as only Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Without Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Turkey, there can be no unity in the European Union.
Meanwhile, the dialogue achieved between Kosovo and Serbia in the last three years is important. For the peace of the region and the future of humanity, the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo forms the foundation of stability.
WEALTH AND PROSPERITY ARE THE KEYS TO PEACE
As for Turkey, today we are the world's 16th largest economy.
Among EU members, we rank 6th economically after Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain.
The European Union has an economic structure of 16 trillion dollars. Turkey's economic size is 840 billion dollars.
There are many EU member countries today that are economically and socially far behind Turkey.
If Turkey can maintain its stability, it should not be difficult to enter the world's top ten economies within the next ten years.
The ongoing economic crisis shows that this fundamental strategic peace project will become increasingly important. In this context, we believe that the European Union, which continues to be an important actor in the world, should also approach its relations with Turkey with the same strategic perspective. We hope that the Union will continue its enlargement process to spread peace, tranquility, and prosperity to a wider geography. Turkey has not abandoned its membership goal because it believes in the purpose and success of the European Union. As the Marmara Group Foundation, we express on every international platform that the deadlock caused by political motives in the negotiation process brings no benefit and that our membership is in the interest of both parties.
NO NEW BOSNIAS
We do not interpret what we experienced in mid-2014 as "unfair treatment of Turkey, double standards applied." On the contrary, we emphasize the importance of this trend leading Europe to reorganize, reassess, and find new solutions as soon as possible.
Because what happened yesterday in Bosnia is repeating today in Kiev. This is a result of the European Union's wrong decisions.
To avoid losing our faith and hopes and to prevent encountering new Bosnias and new Kievis, we must not abandon the ideal of unity and living together. WE BELIEVE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
Meanwhile, the Marmara Group Foundation carefully continues its work to promote the European Union project, which we consider a civilization project, both in Turkey and Europe.
We were a founding element of the "Yes to Europe" project launched in 2000.
We organized workshops in Brussels at the Palais d'Egmont with nearly six hundred Belgian academics, journalists, diplomats, parliamentarians, and intellectuals.
In Paris, at the French Senate, we shared our views on Turkey-European Union relations with five hundred senators, deputies, journalists, academics, and thinkers.
Also in Brussels, at the European Parliament, Dr. Akkan Suver gave a speech in June 2013 explaining our work related to the EU.
In previous years, Müjgan Suver and Nezihe Timur organized various meetings in Poland, Austria, and Germany on behalf of the Marmara Group Foundation.
In Madrid and Barcelona, Müjgan Suver and Lale Aytanç Nalbant jointly participated in meetings discussing Turkey-European Union relations.
Dr. Akkan Suver, Ogan Soysal, Engin Köklüçınar, Dr. Şahap Kocatopçu, Cafer Okray, and Prof. Dr. Sedefhan Oğuz have presented the Marmara Group Foundation's views on Turkey-European Union relations at international meetings over various periods.
Meanwhile, the Marmara Group Foundation is a partner in the work of the Vienna Economic Forum, a respected European think tank based in Vienna.
Our cooperation with the Berlin-based "Academy of Cultural Democracy" continues.
We also attach great importance to our work with the Vienna-based "Global Dialogue and Cooperation Center."
Our long-standing joint work with the Bled Strategy Forum, based in Bled, continues.
We highly value the Hungarian Enterprise Foundation based in Budapest.
Our contacts with the International Relations and Sustainable Development Center based in Belgrade are at a high level.
Our work with the Slavyani Foundation based in Sofia continues.
Dr. Akkan Suver is a founding member of the Balkan Policy Club based in Sofia.
Dr. Akkan Suver is also a founding member of the Black Sea - Caspian Sea Foundation based in Bucharest and served as its president between 2013 and 2014.
As the Marmara Group Foundation, we consider it our duty to continue our work related to the European Union in the civil society field.