Turkey Will Test Europe

One of the grandfathers of the European Union (EU) concept, Maximilien de Bethune, suggested that all Christian nations in Europe to gather under the roof of a federation called the Great Order. One central goal of the French statesman, also known as Duc de Sully, was to stop the Turkish advance in Europe. The founder of Protestantism, Martin Luther, said that God was testing Christians with the Ottomans, characterizing the Turks as 'the wrath of heaven'.

The rapid advance of the Ottomans into Europe and its years of hegemony generated a serious crisis in Europe. The clothing, the habits, the cuisine of Turks became elements used in the formation of a European identity. We could say with the late Edward Said that the Ottoman Empire was the 'other' that the European looked to set itself in order. We could say that this judgment was valid at least until the second siege of Vienna.

We are now going through a new phase in which Europe looks at Turkey and defines itself. History this time is not repeating itself on the battlefield and at Vienna, now the struggle is on the negotiation table and at Brussels. Even though the historical roles have changed, the Turks will play a determining role in Europe's self-assessment with regard to world politics.

The kind of unity Europe will enjoy in the long-run will be seen in its answer to Turkey in December.

The Turkey discussions will force this question since its answer is capable of fundamentally shaping E.U. institutions.

The signs are that Turkey will be the trial of the E.U. After the Socialist victory in Spain, Poland started to signal that it would change its irreconcilable stance toward the Europe Constitution. In an E.U. after the Constitution crisis, which will be past by June at the latest, the bulky issue of Turkey will take up the entire discussion.

At that time, according to the statement of [E.U] Enlargement Commissioner Gnther Verheugen, Brussels will be face to face with the toughest and most important discussions in its history.

With its answer to Turkey, E.U. will decide if it is a Christian club, or a union of democracy, human rights, supremacy of the law, as it always proudly claims. It will decide how it will contribute to the West-Islamic World relations, which are becoming more strained after September 11 and March 11, and whether it wants to be a strategic power to on a level with the U.S. These are the questions that need to be taken up about the identity of Europe on an ontological level.

The announcements that German, Belgian, French and Danish rightist and racist parties are campaigning for the European Parliament elections in June on the platform that they will keep Turkey out of the E.U. indicate that Turks have a deep, long-term contribution to make to the Europe's own definition of its identity in accordance with their historical role in Europe since the times of the Ottomans. The important thing is to participate in this campaign in a prepared and calm fashion.