Litmus Test for Europe

The gulf between the secular elite and religious forces in Turkey is wider than ever. But, asks Zafer Senocak, is that not all the more reason for the EU to support the secular and democratic forces in Turkey more than it has done in the past in order to bind the country more closely to Europe?

Opinions in Europe diverge on the question of whether Turkey should become a full member of the European Union. This question is increasingly becoming a litmus test for the cultural orientation of Europe, for the relationship between Europeans and that which they consider to be "different".

The reason being that Europeans assume that Turkey is culturally different. Even though turbans only exist in Oriental images in museums, veils and headscarves can still be seen on the streets of major cities in Anatolia. That being said, the wearing of veils and headscarves in public is not restricted to Anatolia; it is also a commonplace feature on the streets of Europe.

Horror scenarios

Add to this the feeling that Islam is a threat to Europe and its liberal, progressive values⎯and this is more than just a feeling when one considers the background role played by women in many Muslim families.

Regardless of the secular orientation of the Turkish state, Turkey represents Islam. That's almost 80 million Muslims knocking on Europe's door. For those who would like to paint horror scenarios, that is a significant figure. The Decline of the West is a book that keeps being written and rewritten in the West.

There are justified reasons for assuming that modern-day Turkey is culturally different from the image Europe would like to paint of itself. The process of modernisation in Turkey is complex and contradictory. But then again, what process of modernisation isn't?

On the other hand, militarism in Turkey has developed differently to that in other European countries in the course of its almost 100-year process of modernisation. In Turkey, the military is omnipresent and influential both in society and in politics.

Turkish officers are more than just civil servants who are ready to protect their country. They are also guardians of social order and a guarantee for the observance of the principles of the founder of the Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal.

Dwindling enthusiasm for reform

But does it necessarily have to stay that way forever? Or would not the successful democratisation of a Muslim country be a model for the reconciliation between the Muslim orientation and open society?

What is missing is the belief that it would. Moreover, as the current situation in Turkey demonstrates, so is the will. The reform process is flagging. The gulf between the secular elite and the devout is wider than ever before.

Can we conclude from this that Europe should establish clear borders between itself and Turkey and, consequently, the Muslim world? Or is now not exactly the right time for Europe to encourage and strengthen secular and democratic forces there? In recent times there has been much talk of Europe's Christian roots. As if Voltaire copied his ideas from the bible!

Does not Europe have a Muslim heritage? A Jewish heritage? And if we keep Turkey at arm's length, what happens to the many Muslims living on European soil? All these questions must be given careful consideration.

Redefining "culture"

These questions must be taken seriously because they indicate that the term "culture" expounds the problems inherent in this issue. What do we mean by the word "culture"? Is a "culture" the sum of the civilisational achievements generated by a dynamic definition of culture? Or is it spiritual blood that can only be passed on from parents to children?

Since the foundation of the Turkish Republic, Turkey has opted for the former. The history of the Republic of Turkey is the history of a civilisation project.

Mustafa Kamal's theory was that there are many cultures, but only one civilisation. This attitude bolsters culturalists on both sides, who are convinced that their respective cultures are congruent with civilisation.

The European identity down through the years

However, it is not possible to build a Europe of diversity on such a monocultural foundation. Those who want to shut the door on Turkey are turning a blind eye to Europe's own history and thorny heritage.

They are also running away from the challenges of our time. The European identity must seek a form different to that of the nation state of the 19th century.

This is very difficult for those who would prefer to maintain the status quo. However, since 1945 it is no longer possible to simply maintain the status quo. The European project is both the expression and the consequence of a rupture caused by two world wars and fascism.

The Christian West is just as much a myth as the Muslim East. If there were such regions and if they were marked on a map of the world, Turkey would not feature on that map. Many critical questions can and must be put to Turkey. For example, how is Turkey progressing in its self-proclaimed mission to achieve civilisational values?

Progress reports on EU Member States too

The deficits and contradictions are obvious. However, this question must also be put to Europe. Not once, but time and again. After all, civil society is not a final destination, but a dynamic process of which we must never lose sight.

Many European countries still have a lot to learn in terms of taking a critical view of their own history. Colonial history and relationships to minorities, for example, are two areas that have barely been touched upon. Progress reports should be introduced for Europe too, not only for countries that have applied for membership.

Both an objective approach to the question of Turkish membership and the relationship between larger and smaller states are two issues that could be addressed in such a progress report.

Zafer Şenocak

Translated from the German by Aingeal Flanagan

Qantara.de

Commentary Zafer Senocak
National Opening, or Nationalist Rigidity: Whither Turkey Now?
Turkey must come to terms with its past – including the Armenien genocide, writes Zafer Senocak. Because a nation that represses its history is not in a position to develop future, he argues

Zafer Senocak – Abdelkader Benali
Muslims and Integration in Europe
In their correspondence, Zafer Senocak (one of the most prominent and versatile German Turkish writer) and Abdelkader Benali (a brilliant Dutch-Moroccan novelist and author) discuss their experiences in two different cultures and the integration problems Muslims are facing today.

Elif Shafak
There Is No Clash of Civilizations
There Is No Clash of Civilizations between Europe and Turkey; rather there is a clash of opinions within Turkey itself, crystallized in a collision between those who are state-oriented and those who are civil-society-oriented, writes Elif Shafak