Another cold shower for Turkey from Kouchner

PanARMENIAN.Net - When sober European politicians talk about the difference between civilizations and cultures, they imagine all the challenges that Europe will face in the face of the Ottoman invasion. One should not overlook the fact that for several centuries the Ottoman threat so much frightened the Europeans that even now they subconsciously fear the Turks. But all this are, of course, emotions; the main component is pragmatism, economy. Turkey’s economic expansion could easily absorb Europe with its constant strikes, crisis, and all sorts of abstract concepts like human rights and freedom of speech. In no way diminishing democratic values, let us note that they often hamper economic development, because in order to achieve a real progress in industry or other branches, it is necessary to rule with an iron hand. By the way, it is what actually is done, without being advertised. Nevertheless, it is “the situation with human rights and all that stuff” that becomes an undefeatable obstacle to Ankara’s EU membership. Judge for yourselves: out of 33 articles only 13 have been discussed for five years. The 10-15 years, already having been referred to God knows for how long, gradually stretched into 20 or even 30 years. It is not mentioned aloud, but it is implicated that even at the last moment, Jack (i.e. Europe, if it manages to remain Christian by that time) will jump out of the jack-in-the-box and take out the “old bones” of the Ottoman Empire. It is true that in today’s rapidly changing world 10 years is rather a long time for great changes both in mindset and in geopolitical area. Maintaining the current status quo in the region, including the borders inherited from the collapsed empire are beneficial, for example, to Turkey or Russia, but never to the other countries which sometimes rightly and sometimes not, think that they were deprived of their “historic homeland”.

But we diverted from the main topic. It’s not the first time that France has refused a country to enter the “European club”. In the 60s of the last century similarly acted also General de Gaulle, who rejected the British membership into the EEC... So, history repeats itself. Due to a number of historical, political and cultural reasons France believes that she owns the right to speak on behalf of the whole of Europe, which, by the way, is not far off the mark. We should not forget that it was France that laid a key role on the continent in the 17-19cc. So, the position of Nicolas Sarkozy towards Turkey is not a whim or a desire to oppose the whole Europe. It is the policy of France, which does not change with the change of the president...

As for Germany, she is simply obliged to oppose to Turkey’s EU membership - too many are the migrants, and too many are the problems to be virtually solved.

Armenia neither loses nor gains anything from Turkey’s EU membership. All those politicians in Armenia, who are for European Turkey, mostly say that joining the EU, Ankara will become more predictable. But never will it happen so. It will take a nomad 10 centuries or even more to become civilized. And it is always possible that the civilized nomad will blow up one day and suddenly lash out with a scimitar. So, it’s is not advisable to make Turkey a member of EU. Be it so, the situation would become worse for Europe, for us, and for the region. Thus, the French Foreign Minister said what in his opinion could guarantee the rights of the Christians, who might become personae non grata in Turkey, since the number of Islamists is becoming critical. Mosques, Turkish quarters of European cities, and constant threats of jihad cannot but cause concern. And it’s not that the Turkish trail is negligible in all of this; it must be admitted that Ankara should be “grateful” to the Europeans for their attitude towards her because of the religious fanatics, for whom human life is worth nothing. Tolerance and democracy are good for the time being, but when security is threatened, the Bosporus can even be closed...