Because Blogging is a way to study

A second instalment of Country of the Day - TurkeyI have read a lot about Turkey, hopefully this consolidates everything and I remember this in my exam tomorrow.

Turkey... where is it?Well, that question is probably the biggest problem Turkey faces. Sandwiched between Bulgaria and Greece on the West and Iran, Iraq, Syria and Georgia on the east - it's really somewhere in between. Look up a map of Asia, they have part of Turkey in it. Look up a map of Europe, they have a teensy bit of Turkey in it too. Bleah! So, where is Turkey? My best answer is it's in between Europe and Asia.

Who lives in Turkey? It's got a population of 72 million people, many of them young and highly skilled. Mainly they're Turks, but there are other ethnicities - the Kurds, Roma, Arabs, Circassians, Armenians, Greeks and Jews. (phew) it's like a mixed bag of goodies.

More relevant to me... Why does Turkey want to Join the EU? (and should it?)
Well, whether you know it or not, Turkey has been an officially recognised CANDIDATE for accession into the EU since 1999. The Erdogan government has been working hard to gain entry into the EU and for good reason:

• Entry into the EU means entry into the largest regional grouping in the world. With all that support behind you, not only is it much easier to bargain in terms of trade and politics, but you'll also be able to access some of the EU budget, R & D, technology and be able to influence EU policy.
• Did i mention that the EU has a very protectonist market policy? Therefore, entry into the EU means access to EU markets.
  
• With dubious human rights record in their history, it would be good for Turkey to join a grouping with democracy as one of their main criterion. One such example was the trial of novelist Pamuk who 'insulted Turkishness' when he mentioned the history of the persecution of Armenians and Turks. (this is still a punishable offence) With the stamp of EU approval, this opens the doors to investment and other partnerships.
  
• It can gain the benefits of EU security and stability. What more with the proposed expansion of the European Security and Defence Policy (sort of like an European army) this has the potential to develop!

So, benefits for Turkey. Why should the EU consider them as a candidate?

• Europe is growing old. With declining birth rates and longer life expectancies, this generation (us! *gulp*) will be expected to shoulder the burden of financing social services for the ageing population. Turkey is a young country. With an injection of young, skilled labour, perhaps the load can be lightened. a bit.
• It's always good to have your neighbours on your side. Stable democracies all around means less chance of war and conflict! Furthermore, with the war on terror and what not - if they can curry favour with one Muslim country, they can look good in the eyes of others in the Middle East.
• As much as Turkey can access EU markets, the EU will then be able to access Turkish markets. I smell opportunities for expansion!
• Furthermore, this is a demonstration of European soft power. The ability to influence without coercion (*cough* *cou-America-gh*). Once they're roped in, it means cooperation in environmental standards, in battling crime, drugs and immigration! (no kidding, there's an Europol that does that)

So, good news all round - what's the problem?

• You see, Turkey is a Muslim country. Of all the 27 countries currently in the EU - none are Muslim. But the EU is a rights-based institution! Yes indeedy-doo. But it's also a scaredy cat. What about Islamicization of the West? The answer should be - yeah, what about it? But Europe's answer seems to be - Oooo... That's true, innit? The EU is worried it will undergo a crisis of identity if it lets Turkey in. So really, a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't here. Identity crisis vs. being hypocritical of their whole universal democracy agenda.
  
• Turkey is rather large - AND it borders Iraq, Iran and Syria. Those countries would become the new EU neighbours and Turkey would become the largest member state in the EU. Power shift perhaps? Furthermore, there are fears that the EU is spreading itself too thin. Its institutions are already ridiculously bureaucratic - would further enlargement just make it ineffective?
• They may never resolve the Cyprus issue! Maybe for another instalment of Country of the Day, Cyprus is currently Turkish in the North and Greek in the South thanks to a supposed invasion. (but the history's pretty convoluted so don't judge!)
• If the EU doesn't let Turkey in, it undermines their influence because Turkey has made A LOT of changes to the system - abolished the death sentence, recognised lots of minority rights, reduced the power of the military - and to keep them out would say "Yeah, that was all for nothing." So one of the biggest EU carrots would be devalued and perhaps the EU will be labelled a hypocritical slut. (putting out but not taking in)

*phew* the Turkey issue. Well, if it had a solution i assume those people in Europe who get paid to think about it would have come up with it already. The conclusion? EU has some tough decisions to make to prevent quite a big crisis. Turkey itself will undergo a major change. Will it be Europeanised? I guess we'll just have to see, yeah? And we'll see if this question comes out in the exam tomorrow - otherwise...