PHILIPPE SUINEN the General Administrator of the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency (Awex) and the Commissioner - General Director of International Relations of the Walloon Region and the French Community
YES TO TURKEY
	Philippe SUINEN, the General Administrator of the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency (Awex) and the Commissioner- General Director of International Relations of the Walloon Region and the French Community has never made it a secret: he is greatly in favour of the adhesion of Turkey to the European Union. Already at the time of the various referendums on the European constitution he declared that “One witnesses the appearance of an rather unusual attitude: that it can seem politically correct to withhold from all mentioning of the adhesion of Turkey. Thus, the pseudo-citizenship as expressed by the non-debate has been elevated to the status of value under the pretext of not providing any arguments to the participants of the no-vote to the constitution. Yet, it has to be stated clearly that the process of the adhesion of Turkey is juridically not connected to the approval or rejection of the constitution. This is a juridicial fact, it is clear and undeniable. On the contrary, I, as a citizen would fin
Why defend so fervently the adhesion of Turkey to the European Union? Europe has to accomodate Turkey for a number of reasons that are connected to its values, to peace and security and to its proper interests. First of all, in acting this way, we but confirm history and our cultural foundations: Anatolia has always been a part of the cultural and geographic territory of Europe. The latter was established on the foundations of the former. Ancient Greece was born on both shores of the Aegean. The Illiyad was situted on these same shores. In the Roman Empire, it was also the place were christianity came into full force. Saint Paul wrote his epistles there. So you contradict the opponents to this enlargement who put forward this very same cultural reality? Sort of. Opening Europe to Turkey for full membership, amounts to materializing our values by virtue of the conditions attached to the adhesion. It means firstly to guarantee religious and philosophical liberty with equal treatment of all communities and minorities. We know that Turkish women obtained the right to vote in 1934, or 14 years before the Belgians. We also know that the European aspirations of the Turks have made them renounce on the penalization of adultery. But it also implies respectfully taking into account the Kurdish minority, based on the triangle of the identity-alterity-universality principles. Without forgetting the tremendous demonstration of compatibility between Islam and democracy that will thus be displayed: the European Union as a strengthened model of diversity and tolerance. What about the“security” element? Turkey is already a member of NATO... Indeed. I am convinced that peace and security will benefit from this enlargement. Consider the reopening of the borders with Armenia and the settlement of the Cyprus issue. Let us also keep in mind that the European defence system will thus be made credible by one of the most powerful members of NATO. And that the new conditions of neigbourship will place Iraq, Syria, and Iran at the gates of Europe, thus turning the latter into a major actor for peace. And Iran? It is certainly towards Iran that Europe has to give to its neighbourship policy the most concrete and bearing expression of its common values. Concerning our interests, they are served by the political and economic reinforcement of Europe: with the 71 million Turkish citizens, who will number 85 million within 15 years and by a more dynamic economy. With also flows of migration that contribute and will contribute even better to the need for a youthful workforce. Flows of migration are not new, but have always been frightening, especially from Islamic countries... There are already almost twelve million citizens that adhere to the Muslim creed and almost four million Turks in the European Union. Those are already the torch bearers and protagonists of the adhesion. They will assist us, as they will assist our enterprises and Turkish enterprises, in developing the whole of activity and employment. In order to share progress.