BY: SAADET ORUÇ*
After a busy day with NATO and European Union officials in Brussels on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan returned to the country with good news regarding Turkish relations with the EU.
A positive agenda will be formed and a year of diplomatic work will be completed by the officials in Ankara and Brussels, while summits will be tried to be organized to bring Turkish and EU leaders together.
After a period of escalation, we will soon see a new chapter in Turkey-EU relations.
SYMPOSIUM ON TURKEY’S RELATIONS WITH THE EU AND GERMANY
The Turkish-German University organized a symposium in its Beykoz campus in Istanbul on Friday and honored me with delivering the keynote speech.
The university, along with the German and Turkish academics’ efforts to support the future of good relations, is being very honorable as we pass through such a difficult and dark time in our cooperative history.
The following is the summary of my speech as we expect Germany to clarify its position vis-a-vis Turkey: “The current situation of the relations between Germany and Turkey, despite various shared historical and social aspects that necessitate a close partnership, might be defined as being far away from the principles of two close allies. Lately, we have been suffering through a very hostile attitude from Germany, partnered by its undesired and unexpected position.
“Specifically in the aftermath of the July 15 failed coup attempt, the Turkish people have questioned whether their German friends were actually disappointed with the coup’s failure.”
First and foremost, Germany should come up with a reasonable explanation for Berlin’s recent hostility toward Turkey other than its dissatisfaction for the failure of the coup attempt on July 15.
*SAADET ORUÇ is a Turkish journalist. She writes columns for Daily Sabah Turkish newspaper
(Published in Daily Sabah on May 27, 2017)
