October, 2002

Turkey in Crisis

Dr. Al-Sayyid Awad Othman

For some time now, Turkey has been facing a debilitating political and economic crisis, made worse by the ill health of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the secession and rebellion of some members of his Democratic Left Party, the biggest in the coalition. A number of prominent ministers and delegates have also stepped down, causing the government to lose its majority. As a result, the parliament has set early general elections, scheduled for 3 November.

On the economic level, Turkey has yet to recover from the crushing financial crisis that shook the country in February 2001 and led to the collapse of the lira. In response to demands from the International Monetary Fund, the government has implemented a number of reforms, including the modernisation, restructuring and privatisation of the banking sector and reform of the agricultural sector, as well as limiting the number of workers in the public sector. However, the political crisis has cast a shadow on economic conditions and Turkey now faces a complicated crisis affecting both internal matters and its aspiration to join the European Union.

The Turkish parliament has approved a series of political and economic reforms that correspond to the Copenhagen criteria for membership of the EU. These are related to changing laws concerned with elections and parties as well as those dealing with freedom of opinion and expression, especially for minorities. It is worth mentioning in this regard that the issue of EU membership was one of the main factors behind the rift in the government coalition.

While Ecevit perceives that his country has fulfilled all the political prerequisites for joining the EU and is ready to start negotiations over permanent membership, it seems that Turkey still has a long way to go. The latest reforms do not cover all the criteria required by the EU, especially on the level of human rights, an area in which Turkey faces harsh criticism as a result of its continued use of torture in prisons. Turkey’s admission to the EU is also dependent on the settlement of its border disputes with Greece over Cyprus and the Aegean Sea.

Turkey will now have to wait till 12 December 2002, when the Copenhagen Summit will decide whether or not it joins the EU.