POWER OF CHANGE

In his article published on May 31, 2010 at the "Guest Writer" column of the Hurriyet daily newspaper, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis commented on the agenda and stated that Turkey and EU was an indispensable match.

In his article Bagis also wrote:

"As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated ‘The only thing that is constant is change'.

Nowadays, perhaps it is our Greek neighbours who feel this saying intensely. Surely, this reeling change in the international arena also affects us deeply. By means of the recent economic development, democratisation and socio-economic transformation Turkey, as a rising power, has been successful in turning the situation in favour of itself. However, we cannot say this for the European Union which has problems, especially in terms of its economy.

Change is unsettling the balance in Turkey-EU relations which have a checkered history. As opposed to the thoughts of some, Turkey is no more a country waiting at the ‘door of the EU' or a country ‘in need of the EU'. With its dynamism and potential, Turkey has become a country which can shape the future of Europe and a sin qua non actor of the European Union. Recent reports of the EU also give important clues about this fact.

In the Project Europe 2030 Report of the EU Reflection Group which is chaired by Spain's ex-prime minister Felipe Gonzalez and which was established in 2007 with the aim of carrying out studies on the future of Europe, it has been stated that enlargement should receive special attention for the future of Europe and also the name of our country has been foresightedly mentioned in this respect. In the Report, the most important danger before Europe in the 21st century has been stated as the decrease in the economic and political power and the change in the world's balance in favour of Asia. Worries regarding the fact that if necessary measures are not taken, European Union will just be the western peninsula of Asia, have also been reflected in the Report. Europe 2020 Strategy has been prepared as a road map by the European Commission which decided to review the objectives of the European Union after the global crisis and failure of Lisbon Strategy providing for EU's becoming a global economic power in the 21st

century. In the Strategy it has been determined that economies of the European Union countries which have lost their competition power against the global actors like USA and China in the economic crisis of the century, need a new dynamism and a new breath. European Commission pointing especially to globalisation, growing population of old people, increasing pressure upon the resources as threats aims a more competitive, more productive and information based economy depending on young labour force.

In fact both of the reports are not related with Turkey. However, predictions about the European Union points Turkey as an important actor of Europe. Turkey emerges as an actor that can pave the way for the European Union in the upcoming period, by finding solutions to the problems of Europe stated in the reports and corresponding to Turkey's dynamic private sector, youth and educated labour force, and its opportunities to access energy sources. Of course, it is not necessary to say that this relation is based on a ‘mutual gain' and the European Union process has an indisputable contribution in Turkey's democratisation and socio-economic transformation. Economic crisis encountered by the European Union countries is not an ordinary one. However, financial measures taken at first hand to protect the stability of the Euro region, 2020 Strategy including long term measures show that Europe has the necessary means and potential to overcome these tough times. Above all these, it should not be forgotten that Europe

has prudent leaders. These prudent leaders will act conscious of the fact that Turkey and the European Union is an indispensable match and thus they will get rid of the obstacles before Turkey's EU membership.

We started our article with the words of a philosopher and let's finish it with the words of an economist. As famous economist John Maynard Keynes who does not trust in long term policies said unfortunately ‘in the long run we are all dead'. Policies disregarding the time aspect do not have a value. The world is changing and Turkey gains more strength with the power of change. Nobody should think any more that Turkey will wait at the door of the European Union for half a century more."