“Although we are not EU members, we have said as a matter of opinion that we think it would be wise for the EU to accept Turkey,” Obama said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriera della Sera, published on Thursday. US calls in support of Turkish membership in the EU have always rattled European leaders, who tend to see it as an intrusion in the European decision-making process. Heeding the sensitivity of the matter, US leaders have largely promoted Turkish membership through silence diplomacy.
Obama acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue, saying he recognizes that “this generates strong feelings across Europe.” But he was unhesitant as he explained why Turkey matters to the West: “Turkey is a country of huge strategic importance. It's always been at the crossroads of East and West. It's a NATO ally. Its economy is growing very significantly. And the fact that it's a democracy and a predominantly Muslim country makes it critically important as a role model for other Muslim countries in the region.”
Obama's remarks came as policy-makers in the West are discussing arguments that Turkey has lost its allegiance to the West for the sake of building alliances with the Middle East, China and Russia. The Turkish government denies any shift and says its commitments to strong ties with the West, including through a long-sought membership in the EU, remain intact.
But the EU and the US have already disagreed over who to blame for the perceived shift. In remarks in May, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates put the blame for the perceived shift on the EU, which has frustrated Turkey by rejecting its membership prospects despite a 2005 decision to begin accession talks with Ankara. “[If Turkey is] moving eastward, it is, in my view, in no small part because it was pushed, and pushed by some in Europe, refusing to give Turkey the kind of organic link to the West that Turkey sought,” Gates said.
Later, Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, disputed Gates’ claim, saying the US’s policies under former President George W. Bush are to blame instead.
Obama again took a cautious line, saying he did not believe the slow pace of EU accession or backtracking in the membership process is the “sole contributor or even a predominant contributor in some of the changed orientation that we’ve seen in Turkey.” He said instead that some of the change “has to do with their [Turkish] democracy operating and reflecting changing attitudes within Turkey.”
But he warned that should the EU continue to view Turkey with suspicion, Turks would look for friends elsewhere. “I do think that it inevitably is going to play a part in how the people of Turkey view Europe,” he said. “If they see that Europe considers them not part of them, then it’s natural for them to look elsewhere for allegiance and affiliation.”
Iran efforts ‘unfortunate’
Turkey’s relations with the US also became complicated recently, when Turkey, in cooperation with Brazil, successfully negotiated a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran and then voted against US-backed sanctions at the UN Security Council, saying a “yes” vote would have undermined its credibility as a mediator. The US said the vote was “disappointing.”
Tensions escalated further when Turkey threatened to sever ties with US ally Israel following an Israeli raid on an aid ship trying to break an Israeli embargo on the Gaza Strip. The US has tried to maintain balance between its two allies, but a meeting this week between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House was a clear message that the US administration had no intention to impose further pressure on Israel to agree to Turkish demands for an apology.
Obama repeated the US unease over the Iran vote, saying Turkey’s “attempt to deal with Iran on the nuclear issue” was “unfortunate.” But he added: “I think some of that was also guided by the fact that they have a long border with Iran, and they don’t want any kind of conflict in that region. Some of it has to do with them flexing their muscles. They were joined by Brazil, which obviously has a completely different orientation but similarly sees itself as an emerging power.”
“I think the most important thing we can do with Turkey is to continue to engage, continue to hold out the advantages for them of integration with the West, while still respecting their own unique qualities and not acting fearful about the fact that they are a Muslim -- predominantly Muslim country, and that’s going to reflect itself in its democracy. And that can be potentially very good for us if they are putting forward a brand of Islam that is respectful of universal rights, secular in its dealings with respect to the state. That can end up being a good influence throughout the Muslim world,” he said.
