The bells have been ringing in the European Union ever since the Catalans in Spain broke a taboo. The EU usually supports minorities who demand independence as long as they are not part of the union. So far, no minority demand has been met because the EU's continuation is not possible through the indivisible integrity of the member countries.
Chaos would reign over the EU if all the minorities in the 28 EU countries were to gain independence. The common policies and laws would not be exercised in such an environment while many staples of the EU system, such as the shared currency and Schengen Agreement, would disappear.A smaller-scale example of the chaos mentioned above has been seen recently in Spain. Massive problems will arise for Spain if Catalans declare independence. Aside from losing the Barcelona football club, Spain would receive a huge blow in terms of economy if it loses Catalonia.
As seen in the example of Britain, coping with the departure of an EU member is easier than coping with new countries emerging from EU members. If Catalans achieve their goals in Spain, they would serve as a model to many other minority groups in the EU. If other minority groups such as the Flemish in Belgium and the Corsicans in France were to take the Catalans as an example, the situation in the EU would not be so promising. The Tyrolians in Italy presents another case with regard to minorities.
Of course, this is not a positive development for the EU or Europe, and definitely not a smart solution in today's global world.
In Spain, 90 percent of the Catalans who voted in the referendum sided with independence. However, a majority of Catalans did not go to the polls. Catalans living in Spain are not any different from other Spanish citizens.
Moreover, they have a considerable advantage thanks to their autonomous status. They might suffer declining welfare if they depart from Spain. This desire for independence does not have any logical reasoning, and they only seem to have been caught up with some romantic ideas. For this reason, Spain objects to the efforts of the minority Catalans, since they are trying to divide the country under the pretext of independence.
The EU sides with Spain by taking these factors into account. So, they only tepidly condemned the violence used by the Spanish police due to the vote. So far so good. But at this point, we want to ask what the difference between Turkey and Spain is.A large segment within the EU supports the Kurdish independence demand of the outlawed PKK, which threatens the peaceful coexistence of Turks and Kurds with violent terrorist attacks. But as in Spain, most Kurds in Turkey neither demand independence nor support the PKK, which kills Kurds more than others.
Rightfully defending the integrity of Spain, the EU still serves as a platform for those wishing to divide Turkey. And the response of the EU officials and governments to that is extremely weak.Turkey is no different from Spain on that issue.For the future of the EU, the resistance shown against the division of Spain must also be shown against the efforts to divide Turkey. The EU must take an overt stance against those trying to manipulate European institutions such as European Parliament and Germany's Bundestag for the benefits of the PKK. It must also show solidarity with Turks and Kurds who live in peace together and guarantee the stability of the country thanks to that.