Turkey joining the EU will benefit Europe 1
by Didem Ürer
To date Europe has always given the impression that “admitting Turkey to the EU will be doing it a great favor.” Yet looking at the current picture, Turkey’s joining the EU is looking increasingly like a blessing on them instead.
Normally, Turkey is a valuable treasure chest for Europe. Yet Europe is either unaware of this or else ignores the fact because of its conservative tendencies. Of course, however, Turkey has a responsibility to provide an appropriate answer to some concerns of Europe’s. Turkey’s attitudes in respect of extremism, freedom of ideas and freedom of movement are particularly important for Europe. Yet the fact is that Turkey’s accession to the EU may be more of a serious benefit for Europe than it is for Turkey.
In order to understand this better, we should examine the current socio-economic positions and stipulated futures of Turkey and Europe and compare the current status of the two societies
The current position in Europe
First and foremost, the economic crisis into which, with a few exceptions, the countries of Europe have fallen is plain to see. Every day another European country comes to the brink of bankruptcy. Many of them are already at that brink.
Following Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy, belt-tightening policies are now being applied by the governments of France and Poland. Unemployment in these countries is at record levels. In April, for example, unemployment in France broke a 16-year record. Thousands of people are being made redundant. France’s credit rating was reduced. Denmark's budget deficit in 2012, $13 billion, was the highest for the last 28 years.
Those affected by the crisis in the EU are mainly the young. Many hungry young people are lining up at the gates of charities and universities that hand out one free meal a day. Most young people are unqualified and unemployed, and therefore are regarded as a burden on society and alienated. This means the most dynamic and productive section of society remaining on the sidelines. In addition to the sidelining of the young, the rapidly rising average age in the EU is another factor affecting its development and dynamism.
There is no end to the daily protests taking place in European countries. As the EU governments seek to take measures against the economic crisis confronting them, they are also having to deal with masses of people taking to the streets to oppose those measures.
Due to the Darwinist-materialist education largely provided in Europe, the EU's society is rapidly losing spiritual values and on the way to becoming a cold and soulless society. Cases of depression, imbalance, a tendency to crime, psychological disorders such as sadism, rage attacks and suicide are all rising by the day.
The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has announced a major rise in the use of synthetic drugs in Europe. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem has expressed concern at the fact that one fourth of European adults, approximately 85 million people, has used an illegal drug.
Racism and xenophobia in Europe
Today, fascistic ideas, racist thinking and xenophobia are increasingly widespread in many EU countries, particularly Germany, but also Austria, Great Britain and Greece. This perversion, generally equated with extreme right-wing groups , in fact subtly manifests itself in many segments of society and even in mechanisms of state.
The problem is particularly striking during police checks. For example, the German police [Ron Mastr1] submit migrants to checks in airports and railroad stations on the pretext of looking for illegals. African citizens are exposed to racism and discrimination, not just from the extreme right, but from all sections of society. (Deutsche Welle)
In Great Britain, the group known as the English Defense League stage protests aimed at Muslims involving slogans of hate. A large part of the media incites this feeling of hatred with news and discussion programs. The scale of the attacks and threats against Muslims, particularly over the internet, is rising by the day.
In Austria, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) - which increased its share of the vote in the latest elections - has based its election policies solely on ‘anti-foreigner and anti-Islamic’ rhetoric. It opposes migrant living in Austria being able to benefit from social assistance, social housing and child benefits. It also demands the deportation of foreigners who have been unemployed for more than a year.
The Golden Dawn Party in Greece is known for violent and provocative actions aimed against migrants.
The EU, which gives the impression of being one of the staunchest defenders of democracy and human rights, thus exhibits an internally inconsistent profile.
The EU and EU governments’ efforts to overcome these problems, of which we have listed only a few, are largely inadequate and unsuccessful. Reasonable, effective and outcome-oriented measures are not being taken.
Indeed, although the EU reacts swiftly to sudden events such as the coup in Egypt or the crisis in Syria, it has become increasingly clear that it is not a dynamic body taking incremental and proactive decisions. On the contrary, it has emerged as a lethargic and sclerotic body.
That being the case, the way that the EU looks for flaws and makes criticisms when it comes to Turkey, as if it were not itself becoming a center for new problems and crises by the day, gives rise to an inconsistent and ludicrous picture.
In a subsequent piece I shall be looking at the current position in Turkey and the contributions it can make to the EU.
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