Filed under: Europe, France, Turkey — Michael van der Galien, Editor-in-Chief on July 2, 2008 @ 4:00 pm CEST
‘French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country took over the six-month-term presidency of the European Union yesterday, said the Turkish army played an important role in strengthening democracy in Turkey and undertook a great role in separating government affairs from those of the mosque and religion,’ Turkish Daily News reports.
This is quite a surprising statement, because Europe seems to have declared war on Turkey’s secularists and, thus, on its army. This while the army and the secularists have indeed played a vital role in Turkey’s secularization and modernization.
‘This should not be forgotten,’ Kouchner was quoted as saying by Turkish journalists reporting from Paris. His remarks were published in Turkish newspapers yesterday.
This should indeed not be forgotten.
Kouchner also said that Europe should not suspect talks with Turkey about it’s possible EU membership if the country’s highest court decides that the leading Justice and Development Party should be closed.
As said, these words are more than welcome. Every now and then, at the very least, Europe should show that it realizes who its friends and allies truly are. For some unknown reason Europeans are often more than willing to attack their friends, and praise their enemies. That has to change. This is a step in the right direction.
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