Great Britain has always been a staunch supporter of Turkish integration into the EU. Being an EU country, together with France, possessing a worldwide efficient diplomatic infrastructure, the U.K. has been instrumental in allowing the accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU to start. More than a constant policy feature of the Foreign Office, Turkish accession to the EU has been supported by the main three political parties of the U.K.; a situation exceptional enough to be underlined. Without the vista and dexterity shown by the British diplomacy, it is very probable that the accession negotiations would have never started and a major diplomatic crisis would have plagued Turkey-EU relations over the last nine years.
The U.K. has ignited an institutional turmoil within the EU by refusing to endorse the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker as the President of the European Commission. Whereas there was a clear consensus before the European parliament elections that the victor in the elections be appointed as the next president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive.
Jean-Claude Juncker is a true "European" in the sense that he personalizes the "federalist" old guard in Brussels. British Prime Minister David Cameron does not want to see him presiding over the destiny of the EU for the next five years and, in that vein, he has been determined to call all his clan to the rescue. Unfortunately, it has been rather a clumsy move, most of the EU countries have had more than enough of the British "not in, neither out" policy concerning membership of the EU and they have reacted very negatively. The move cost Cameron his staunchest ally against Juncker, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who felt obliged to repeatedly ensure her support for the latter, as she did again in parliament on Wednesday in an address in which she also reaffirmed her commitment to Britain staying in the EU.
New developments in the EU is not boding well for Turkey, one might be tempted to say, but it has the advantage of bringing to the agenda an essential problem: The EU with 28 member states, soon to become more than 30, does not function satisfactorily within the parameters set forth by the founding treaties. It is not possible to establish such a wide union with equal rules for all and performances that should match the best performing member states.
Nothing is being done to durably change the structures of the EU to consolidate its "soft power" status. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is soon to visit European capitals, including Paris. Turkey and France should also decide about the fate of the completely dysfunctional accession negotiations. Neither the EU, nor Turkey can afford the luxury of internal strife.
France and Germany are trying to keep the U.K. strongly leashed up to the EU. Turkey definitely needs to see its relations with the EU revamped. It may not look as urgent as mending British ties with the EU, but it is in a hurry as well. At a time when a new bipolar and odd-looking world order is emerging, when energy transportation and political stability are at stake, it would be a very good idea indeed to provide fresh impetus to the Turkey-EU association. The Turkish Premier will ask for such a step, let us all hope that his pledge will be heard.
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