Mario Draghi’s direct use of the term “dictator” for Turkish President Erdogan has been voiced by many Europeans. The anger at the symbolic demotion suffered by the President of the Commission, and in her face by all the women of the world, during her visit to the Palace of the Turkish President represents all European citizens.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s formulation has two objectives. The first and obvious is the finding of the character of the Erdogan regime. The second objective and not obvious is that Europeans cannot choose their neighbours and should learn and continue to converse and cooperate with such regimes as that of Erdogan who described him as a dictator.
by Thanos S. Chonthrogiannis
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Because you do not choose your neighbour, therefore, in contacts with such regimes, talks must take place under strict rules and conditions and there should be a range of incentives on the part of the EU accompanied by a range of strict sanctions. The EU has an interest in not removing Turkey, even if Turkey under the Erdogan regime is trying to distance itself from the West.
EU should keep Turkey close within a rules and conditions-structured framework of relations and given that Turkey will not join the EU. An uncontrolled Turkey would pose a threat to the EU’s interests.
The EU must therefore continue to talk to Turkey, but without being under any illusions as to what the Erdogan regime is, and without the EU forgetting that it has a different framework of values and a different model of society than that of today’s Turkey.
Liberal democracy inspires. But the EU is surrounded by free regimes based on nationalism, authoritarianism, and imperialism. The external enemies of democracy know how to twist reality, to use fake news, to murder by poisoning and slandering characters, to find conspiracies against them everywhere and to imprison opposing views.
All of them are united by their shared dislike of Europe’s values.
