The EU versus the Shanghai

Cooperation Organization
A few days ago Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoan announced that Ankara may
decide to join the Shanghai Cooperation rgani!ation "SC# which he suggested cou$d %e
an a$ternati&e to the E', stating( )*f we get into the SC, we wi$$ say good%ye to the E'+ The
SC is %etter ,, much more powerfu$+ Pakistan wants in+ *ndia wants in as we$$+ *f the SC
wants us, a$$ of us wi$$ %ecome mem%ers of this organi!ation+-
Perhaps the prime minister did not ha&e time to read the SC.s Mission Statement+ *f he
had, then he wou$d ha&e seen that the organi!ation is a &ery different anima$ to the E', not
$east when it comes to promoting democratic &a$ues, something Erdoan a$ways cites as
%eing important to him+ The SC current$y comprises Russia, China, '!%ekistan, /yrgy!stan
and Tajikistan ,, a group of undemocratic nations primari$y dri&en %y Russia and China, who
continue to fight for inf$uence and power in Centra$ Asia, in particu$ar with regard to the
region.s rich energy resources+ Turkey has the status of 0ia$ogue Partner a$ong with 1e$arus
and Sri 2anka+
3or Turkey to join the SC, Ankara wou$d ha&e to renounce its 4AT mem%ership,
something it is c$ear$y not going to do+ E&en if Turkey were serious, it is un$ike$y that Russia
and China wou$d we$come another %ig p$ayer with am%itions of regiona$ hegemony and
which has a $ong history of %eing a staunch a$$y of the 5est+ 5hi$e Erdoan was no dou%t
just sending the E' a message that he apparent$y )has a$ternati&es,- no one takes such
statements serious$y+ 5hat ne6t7 5i$$ Erdoan %e asking to join Russia.s Eurasian 'nion7
Ankara seems to %e waiting for some concrete efforts from the E' to )reset- its sta$$ed
mem%ership negotiations+ To this end, there wi$$ %e two crucia$ &isits to Ankara in March( the
first %y 8erman Chance$$or Ange$a Merke$, the second %y 3rench President 3ran9ois
:o$$ande+ 5hi$e the &isit of Merke$ is important, :o$$ande.s is e&en more so as Ankara is
e6pecting him to gi&e a c$ear statement of support for Turkey+
Turkey and 3rance are in the process of trying to mend fences fo$$owing a period of
animosity under former President 4ico$as Sarko!y+ Sarko!y strong$y opposed Turkey.s E'
aspirations, %$ocking negotiating chapters, %ringing Turkish,3rench re$ations to the %rink of
co$$apse+ Sarko!y was on$y prepared to support the 8erman proposa$ of )pri&i$eged
partnership+- :owe&er, un$ike 3rance, 8ermany has not mo&ed to %$ock Turkey.s E'
negotiations, rather stating that the ta$ks are open,ended+
5ith :o$$ande.s e$ection in ;<=;, hopes were raised that re$ations wou$d impro&e with the
ta$k of some chapters %eing un%$ocked+ *n 0ecem%er, Turkey.s Minister for European Affairs
Egemen 1a>? said, )5e are hoping that %efore he @:o$$andeA arri&es in Turkey he wi$$ te$$ us
the good news on $ifting the %$ock on at $east two chapters+-
'nfortunate$y, ;<=B did not get off to a good start+ Tensions rose fo$$owing the ki$$ing of three
/urdish acti&ists connected to the /urdistan 5orkers. Party "P//# in Paris ear$ier this month+
The fact that :o$$ande had met one of them put him in an em%arrassing position, with
Erdoan demanding to know what the president discussed with an organi!ation $a%e$ed as
terrorists %y the E'+ Turkey.s $eadership continues to fee$ pee&ed that, contrary to the fact
that the P// is out$awed %y the E', some mem%er states inc$uding 3rance often turn a %$ind
eye to the group.s $o%%ying and fund,raising acti&ities+
Turkey seems to ha&e reached a crossroads of democracy+ 5hi$e the E' may %e going
through economic woes, it remains e6ceptiona$$y uniCue in the sense that it is the on$y %ody
that has %een a%$e to faci$itate the %ui$ding and conso$idation of democracy in accession
countries with its en$argement too$%o6+ 5hi$e 4AT has %een a%$e to go some of the way, its
too$%o6 is not as %road+ 3or Turkey to continue to democrati!e, it shou$d stay in the em%race
of the E'+ 5hi$e many hurd$es sti$$ $ie ahead, inc$uding the Cyprus issue, a he$ping hand
from 3rance wi$$ do much to re%ui$d trust in a re$ationship which is of crucia$ importance to
%oth partners whi$e a$so hopefu$$y putting an end to such farcica$ statements as those we
ha&e heard re$ated to the SC+