Policy Documentation Center

Development cooperation program, Ethiopia, 2012-2017

Eralp, Yalim

  
  
  
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 POLICY	  BRIEF	  
	   	   	   	   	  GLOBAL	  POLITICAL	  TRENDS	  CENTER	  (GPoT)	  
	  
	  
EU’S	  REJECTION	  OF	  TURKEY:	  
THE	  REAL	  UNDERLYING	  REASON	  
by	  YALIM	  ERALP	  
	   	   	   	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  January	  2011	  |	  GPoT	  PB	  no.	  21	  
ABSTRACT	   There are many negative elements in EU-Turkey relations. Some 
consider the difference in religion as the primary factor. The issue is deeper 
than that. It is cultural contradiction. When Europe says cultural diversity is 
richness, it tends to mean cultural integration. 
	  
“Religion is the substance of culture 
and culture the form of religion.” 
Paul Tillich 
Many arguments have been 
advanced against Turkish 
membership in the European Union. 
Some have said that Turkey and its 
capital, geographically speaking, 
are not in Europe. Some have said 
Turkey is too big. These are not 
tenable arguments; they are flimsy 
in the face of “pacta sunt 
servanda” (agreements must be 
kept). Turkey’s geography has not 
changed since the 1963 Treaty 
binding the then Common Market 
with Turkey. Turkey is and was big 
then.  
What is not openly said as the main 
obstacle to Turkish membership is 
perhaps, according to many, 
religion. Many Turks believe that EU 
will keep Turkey outside because of 
Islam. However, this seems to be 
too simple. Certainly, there is an 
element of truth, but it is deeper 
than that. 
According to French sociologist 
and historian Amaury de Riencourt 
“culture and civilization are two 
expressions that have been used 
more or less indiscriminately and 
interchangeably in the past. The 
distinction between them is of 
organic succession. They do not 
coincide in time but follow each 
other during the life span of a 
particular society: each Culture 
engenders its own Civilization...” 
Many writers and academicians 
have stressed the role of religion in 
a given society in the shaping of 
culture. Islam, in general, has not 
gone through a process of 
Reformation as was the case in 
Christianity. What is said in the 
Quran is often irrelevant and even 
misinterpreted among many 
2 EU’S	  REJECTION	  OF	  TURKEY:	  THE	  REAL	  UNDERLYING	  REASON,	  YALIM	  ERALP	  
 
 
 
  
  
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practitioners. In other words, the 
letter and spirit of the Quran have 
been ignored many times by its 
practitioners in certain Islamic 
societies. This is evident in the 
treatment of women and fine arts 
in Islamic societies; even in Turkey, 
while many steps had been taken 
to redress women’s situation under 
Kemal Atatürk, the situation seems 
to have reversed yet again.  
The EU report on gender issues in 
Turkey states: 
“The gender gap in primary 
education continued to narrow 
and has virtually closed at national 
level. This needs to be sustained by 
continued encouragement of girls’ 
enrollment and prevention of 
school drop-outs, particularly in 
rural areas”. However, gender 
equality and combating violence 
against women remain major 
challenges in Turkey. 
Women's 
representation in 
politics, senior 
positions in public 
administration and 
trade unions are 
very low. 
With regards to 
women's lowered 
participation in the 
labor market, the 
absence of sufficient child-care 
facilities, difficulties in access to 
secondary and further education 
and the existence of gender 
stereotypes are all contributing 
factors. Unpaid work in subsistence 
agriculture and employment in the 
informal sector continue to be 
challenges. There are no social 
inclusion mechanisms for women to 
counter-balance the impact of 
poverty, migration and other socio-
economic problems. The situation 
of children, especially of girls, at 
primary boarding schools needs 
attention in order to avoid drop-
outs and increase the quality of 
education. The safety of minors in 
these institutions, in particular girls, is 
a cause for concern and was 
debated in the press. There is a 
need for a transparent and 
objective review of the system. The 
gender gap in secondary and 
other levels of education persists. 
School textbooks still contain 
stereotypes about women’s role 
and status. 
There is evidence of increase in 
honour killings. The number of 
shelters for women and other 
preventive and protective services 
remain limited in scope. There is no 
effective government oversight of 
shelters and of the 
work of 
municipalities. Inter-
institutional 
cooperation needs 
to step up. Training 
of law enforcement 
bodies and public 
institutions, 
particularly in the 
field of violence 
against women, 
needs to be sustained. With regards 
towards domestic violence, 
execution of the ECHR judgment in 
the Opuz v. Turkey case is still 
pending. Family courts have been 
applying severe sanctions in cases 
of domestic violence and honour 
killings. However, this practice 
needs to be applied consistently. In 
one honour killing case, the Court 
There is a need for a 
transparent and objective 
review of the system. The 
gender gap in secondary 
and other levels of education 
persists. School textbooks still 
contain stereotypes about 
women’s role and status. 
3 EU’S	  REJECTION	  OF	  TURKEY:	  THE	  REAL	  UNDERLYING	  REASON,	  YALIM	  ERALP	  
 
 
 
  
  
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of Cassation reduced the penalty 
due to ‘unjust provocation’. 
Early and forced marriages remain 
a cause for concern. Such 
marriages could also lead to 
reproductive health risks and 
domestic abuse. There are no 
reliable figures on 
the incidence of 
such marriages. 
Women 
organisations report 
deterioration in their 
dialogue and their 
cooperation with 
relevant public 
institutions, at both 
central and local 
levels. Implementation of the 
national action plan on gender 
equality and violence against 
women lacks sufficient human and 
financial resources. The action plan 
does not contain firm and 
measurable targets.  
Turkey’s problem, despite its legal 
guarantees, is insufficient 
implementation in all areas, in 
particular on gender issues. Turkey 
continues to be a man’s society. 
Even among politicians, the 
general consensus is that women 
are simply required to bear children 
and do house work. The gap of 
mentality between urban and rural 
areas is huge. Even in big cities the 
practice between the center and 
periphery of the city changes 
immensely. In the peripheries many 
women go to work to gain money 
needed  not because women are 
considered equal. And the money 
gained is handed over to the 
husband, the real head of the 
family. Therefore, the very fact that 
many banks and companies have 
women as executives should not 
give an image of equality of 
women in the society. Honour 
killings are considered routine 
especially in the South East. Many 
girls’ suicides are either related to 
forced marriages or to honour killing 
threats. Daily 
newspaper Milliyet 
continues a 
campaign for girls: 
“Father send me to 
school.” The very 
fact that such a 
campaign is 
required only 
demonstrates how 
dire the situation is. 
Note that the campaign is 
“father.....”  and not “mother send 
me to school” which clearly shows 
the patriarchal nature of the family. 
In many rural areas, the practice of 
having a second unofficial wife, 
kuma, remains widespread. The 
practice has even been globalised 
since some women are being 
brought over from the Maghreb 
countries. On UNDP’s gender 
inequality index, Turkey ranks 77th. 
The importance given to women in 
Turkey is reflected in the Gender 
Empowerment Measure, released 
as a part of UNDP’s Global Human 
Development Report in October. 
According to these results, Turkey 
ranks 101 out of 109 countries, 
behind Pakistan and Azerbaijan, 
effectively as the 8th country from 
last. 
Headscarves remain another issue 
of controversy. Some in Turkey 
regard the wearing of  
headscarves as personal choice or 
freedom. Some see it as a 
Turkey’s problem, despite its 
legal guarantees, is 
insufficient implementation in 
all areas, in particular on 
gender issues. Turkey 
continues to be a man’s 
society. 
4 EU’S	  REJECTION	  OF	  TURKEY:	  THE	  REAL	  UNDERLYING	  REASON,	  YALIM	  ERALP	  
 
 
 
  
  
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modernization of women; a way for 
women to reject the mainstream. 
Yet, many consider it as mainly a 
man’s problem; namely a man’s 
order (husband or father) to wear 
the headscarf. In other words, it is 
an expression of men’s hegemony 
over women. This trend in Turkey 
has coincided with the growing 
ban on display of religious signs in 
Europe. Many high-level 
bureaucrats in Turkey complain that 
they cannot advance in their 
career unless their wives wear 
headscarves. 
The society’s approach, particularly 
in rural areas, and in some cases-
the Government’s approach, to 
fine arts also needs to be noted. A 
case in point is the dispute over a 
statue “Ode to 
Humanity” erected 
in Kars (bordering 
Armenia) by a 
famous Turkish 
sculptor ordered by 
the Municipality. The 
Prime Minister called 
it monstrous and 
demanded its 
removal. The 
problem over 
statues is not new in Islamic 
countries. Most recently, the 
Minister of Culture has ordered that 
many busts of well-known people 
be taken from the basement of the 
Ministry and dusts be taken off. 
These busts have been distributed 
to some municipalities for display as 
if to show that there is no prejudice 
towards this type of art. The fact 
that they have remained in the 
basement for some time is 
noteworthy. Practitioners of Islam 
have remained cool to many 
“western” forms of fine arts. The 
television series called “The Glorious 
Century” depicting Suleiman the 
Magnificient’s rule has also been a 
matter of controversy over the 
sexual habits of the ruler. Many TV 
viewers believe that the Ruler 
(Suleiman) has been slighted but 
do not realize that this is not a 
documentary but a TV series. Many 
people point out that the core 
people of the present government 
cannot even watch a ballet 
performance. There are claims that 
some ruling party members refuse 
to shake ladies’ hands. These may 
be considered as isolated cases; 
but many consider that they also 
reflect a certain mentality. These 
developments do not go unnoticed 
in the European media. Le Monde, 
for example, gave 
the news of Prime 
Minister Erdoğan’s 
remarks on the 
above-mentioned 
statue as “Erdoğan’s 
latest victim.”  
The latest row is over 
the new regulation 
on alcoholic 
beverages where its 
use in some areas have been 
restricted. The government claims 
that the regulation is compatible 
with EU norms whereas some fear 
that it would be the first step in 
banning alcohol. Furthermore, boy-
girl relations in schools have come 
into news; in some conservative 
regions, sensitivity over sex have led 
many to fear that encroachment in 
lifestyles is growing. 
In Turkey many radical elements 
exist in the society. Despite the 
The saying that “cultural 
diversity is richness” remains 
somewhat hollow. When EU 
speaks of cultural diversity, it 
mainly speaks of European 
culture. Many in the EU make 
a distinction between cultural 
diversity and lifestyles. 
5 EU’S	  REJECTION	  OF	  TURKEY:	  THE	  REAL	  UNDERLYING	  REASON,	  YALIM	  ERALP	  
 
 
 
  
  
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Quran’s otherwise dictum some 
can even claim that repentance 
does not exist in Islam. The fabric of 
the society has changed in recent 
years. It has become much more 
conservative and religious. 
Sharing of universal values brings 
with it the question of 
what universal values are. In the 
world universal values is a term on 
which there is no general 
agreement. The saying that 
“cultural diversity is richness” 
remains somewhat hollow. When EU 
speaks of cultural diversity, it mainly 
speaks of European culture. Many 
in the EU make a distinction 
between cultural diversity and 
lifestyles. There is widespread belief 
in Europe that the EU is an institution 
where shared lifestyles exist. More 
than cultural diversity, there is in 
Europe a tendency towards cultural 
integration. The presence of Turkish 
workers in Europe, particularly in 
Germany, has been a negative 
factor for these workers have been 
largely unable to integrate into the 
societies they inhabit. They have 
been seen as a microcosm of 
Turkish society. EU tend to regard 
them as a foreign element injected 
into the body. 
Pacta sunt servanda is an 
important element of international 
relations. When a former German 
President was reminded of this 
important element in the case of 
Turkey-EU relations, the former 
President responded by saying “Are 
you as secular as you were in 1963!” 
This is a vital factor in Turkey’s 
relations with the European Union. It 
is generally agreed that without 
secularism democracy cannot 
exist. 
Turkey’s geographic location, its 
borders with the Middle Eastern 
countries, its large population can 
be considered negative elements 
for Turkish membership, however 
they are merely secondary factors. 
The overriding factor seems to be 
cultural difference for an EU of 
“citizens”. If this assumption is right, 
we may see Bosnia joining the 
Union before Turkey. Some will say 
that Bosnia can be easily absorbed 
because of its size and population. I 
submit that “Bosnia’s Islam” is 
considered part of “European 
culture” and will be considered a 
significant factor. 
 
YALIM ERALP 
Ambassador Yalım Eralp (retired) is 
a member of the High Advisory 
Board at the GPoT, a faculty 
member in the Department of 
International Relations of Istanbul 
Kültür University, and a diplomatic 
commentator at CNN TÜRK. In 1962 
he received his bachelor’s degree 
from the Faculty of Political 
Sciences at Ankara University. His 
career at the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs spanned from 1962 to 2000, 
during which time he worked in 
New York, Brussels, Washington, 
D.C., Rome, Vienna, and India, 
where he served as ambassador.  
The opinions and conclusion 
expressed herein are those of the 
individual author(s) and do not 
necessarily reflect the views of 
GPoT or Istanbul Kültür University. 
 	  
 
 
 
  
  
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 ABOUT	  GPoT	  
	  
	  
	   	  
 
Global Political Trends Center (GPoT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research 
institution established under the auspices of Istanbul Kültür University in 2008.  
Our mission is to conduct high quality, independent and innovative research 
and education, acting as a link between policy-making institutions, 
academia, civil society and the media. 
The Center aims to achieve this by routinely bringing together opinion leaders, 
government officials and other policy-makers, analysts and members of the 
media from Turkey, the region and elsewhere. Our activities range from 
conducting projects and research that analyze the contemporary social, 
political and economic trends in regional and international politics and 
producing policy recommendations, contributing to public debate through 
roundtable discussions and international conferences to publishing policy 
briefs and monographs, among others. 
In accordance with its mission, GPoT Center has been active in virtually all 
fronts concerning not only Turkish foreign policy but the current regional and 
international agenda, including Turkey’s European Union accession process, 
the Cyprus issue, NATO, the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process, issues in 
the Middle East and North Africa, national and regional democratization, the 
Arab-Israeli Conflict and, most recently, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. 
	  
	  
CONTACT	  DETAILS	  
 
Global Political Trends Center (GPoT) 
Istanbul Kültür University 
Atakoy Campus, Bakirkoy 
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GLOBAL	  POLITCAL	  TRENDS	  CENTER  


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