The Pope and Turkey
By Dr. Ludger Kühnhardt

Explaining contradictions and exaggerated interpretations is not the Vatican's business.  Nor does the Vatican usually deny what others say about a conversation with the Pope. The Vatican deals with principles and always applies a long-term perspective. The Vatican's position on Turkey - and in particular this Pope's position - has always been clear, so it seems to me, having had the opportunity to discuss the matter with Cardinal Ratzinger three years ago when he still was president of the Congregation of Faith. For centuries, Turkey has been an element of a non-European, Islamic, Asian culture, then-Cardinal Ratzinger once said. Empirically he was correct. Analytically and in normative terms he always insisted on reciprocity of religious freedom as the core of European/Christian-Turkish/Muslim relations. If Turkey were to comply with the principle of reciprocity of religious freedom - meant as positive freedom to practice one's religion even if it represents a very small minority in a dominantly Islamic country - it would become a different Turkey. It would recognize in practice standards of civilization and standards in the relationship between religion and politics that are nowadays part of European normalcy. Such a Turkey could be, and in fact should be, a welcome part of any European integration scheme and regional grouping.

Pope Benedict XVI would never express the direct, rather simple and pragmatic position Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan has put into his mouth. To advocate Turkish EU membership directly would not be the business of the Pope, who is, after all, a religious and not a political leader. But it was impressive to see that in the course of his recent visit to Turkey, Pope Benedict XVI has set the perspective and framed the issue that is most pressing and of long-term implications for Europe: he opted for a dialogue among religions and civilizations. This approach to the Turkey-EU issue is of much more long-term significance than all the technocratic "chapters" the EU needs to negotiate with Turkey. In fact, these membership negotiations have never been negotiations. They are meant to make the applicant country recognize the acquis communautaire of the EU, the European law as it has developed over five decades. The EU will always insist on the fullest recognition of all aspects of its acquis communautaire - and rightly so. To recognize another EU member state is obviously of highest relevance and evidence as one of the core aspects of this acquis. So far, Turkey has not recognized the EU member state Cyprus. Hence, parts of the negotiation process will be postponed. This is much less dramatic as it sounds because so far, only one of 35 "chapters," the one on Science and Technology, has been opened and immediately closed as it did not contain any acquis communautaire.

Turkey-EU membership negotiations, so it seems to me, were meant to hit a wall at some point. Now it has happened, not to my surprise. Turkey will eventually have to learn and recognize that the desire to join the EU - legitimately and in the mutual interest of Turks and all other Europeans alike - requires full compliance with the acquis communautaire of the EU. To limit one's own sovereignty is part of the rationale of European integration. Turkey will accept this at some point, should the Turkish leadership and people continue to want to join the EU (and I hope that they continue to do so). There is no rational alternative for Turkey to access this path.  Also for the EU, there is no rational alternative other than continuing the path towards full Turkish membership. In the years ahead, many more bumps will appear in the road. It is significant that the current bumps, related to the Cyprus issue and the technical matter of opening some ports to Cypriot ships, happened exactly during the days of the spectacularly positive visit of Pope Benedict XVI. His visit has set the tone, the standard, the main criteria and perspective as to why the relationship between Turkey and the European Union needs to be a positive and ultimately successful one. In order to achieve that objective, all taboos have to be overcome and the most sensitive issues have to be dealt with in a constructive, future-oriented spirit, including the Armenian legacy.

During his visit to Turkey, the Pope entered the world of common Christian roots and of the Christian heritage of Turkey: the origin of Christianity in Europe is unthinkable without the many bridges of Anatolia. The term "Christians" was used for the first time in a cave church in Antioch, now Antakya. Paul was born in Tarsus. Many of his epistles were written to the early Christian communities in Anatolia, Asia Minor as it then was called. The merger of Greek philosophy and Christian theology happened on that soil. It is no surprise that the Greek Orthodox Church and its patriarch are in favor of Turkey joining the EU one day. They know that only such a full realization of Turkey's "European-ness" will ultimately improve their own situation and lead to full recognition of the Orthodox Church by Turkish authorities. Turkey has begun to reconcile Turkish national interests and European obligations. This is a long and complex road. In the end, it would mean nothing less than a revolutionary revision of Turkey's understanding of religious pluralism, of the relationship between religion and politics, of the relationship between national pride and patriotism on the one hand and European obligations and standards on the other.

Being able to accept the acquis communautaire would mean nothing less than a civilizational quantum leap and the recognition that the EU and Turkey belong to each other, that Turkey inside the EU is no anachronism but a logical consequence of the values and principles the EU stands for in the twenty-first century. Pope Benedict's visit has shaped the issue more than most political disputes during the past decade because he has broken the ice on the most relevant taboos and matters of spiritual substance necessary to be dealt with in a good and friendly spirit if Europe wants to succeed as a community of (inclusive) values. His voyage in November 2006 shaped the "Turkey question" in a positive sense and with lasting impact. This papal visit prepared the psychological ground for the most honest, sincere, and substantial dialogue among civilizations and religions in Europe's recent history, a dialogue that ultimately, I believe, is poised to generate sustainable success.

.................................................................................................
Professor Dr. Ludger Kühnhardt is Director at the Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI) at the University of Bonn.

This essay appeared in the December 7, 2006, AICGS Advisor.