By Peter P. Groumpos, Emeritus Professor of the University of Patras
First of all, Turkey was never and is not Europe today! Much less Europe has no need of the current warlike Turkey. It should be emphasized that the Ottoman-Turks never respected Europe (they do the same today). They were and remain belligerent. History proves it.
After the fall of Byzantium in 1453 the road to Europe was left open for the spread of the Ottomans who advanced gradually occupying the Peloponnese, central Greece, Albania, part of the Polish Ukraine and Hungary, advancing through the Balkans, until they reached Vienna.
Vienna was attacked by the Ottomans in September 1529 and March 1682. Despite the human numerical and military superiority of the Ottomans, the Austrians (with the help of other Europeans) managed to defend Vienna victoriously both times. In the first campaign Suleiman set out from Constantinople. Twenty Thousand arrived in Vienna first, who plundered all parts and killed the civilian population in the most appalling manner.
They slaughtered civilians, raped underage girls, disemboweled pregnant women, impaled the fetuses they extracted from their mothers ' bellies or pierced them with their spears and carried them around in Trophy form.
These scenes were saved by eyewitnesses and transported throughout Europe, while they are confirmed by Turkish Chronicles of the time.
The second siege of Vienna by the Turks was also a great and important milestone in the geopolitical development of Europe. Vienna was besieged for the second time by the Turks in 1682 and was saved literally at the last minute as a miracle, having to face a tenfold Army of the Ottomans. Polish Jan Sobieski's Army of Hussars and various Austrian allies repulsed the Ottomans and drove them to flight.
The halting of the second siege of Vienna definitively saved Western Europe from slavery and withering away.
Besides this, it should be emphasized that with the development of the Ottoman Empire from the 14th century with so many people of the Balkans, the Mediterranean and East Asia enslaved, this was the Great missed opportunity of all these peoples to become participants in the great technological developments that were taking place in the rest of Europe (first and Second Industrial Revolutions, and others). Imagine if the parts of the "Ottoman Empire" participated in all these technological achievements what Europe would be in the 17-19 centuries?
A single prosperous Europe that would avoid the two World Wars and the wars for the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
Europe would be even much better off if Turkey were not created in 1923 after the partition of the Ottoman Empire. For Turkey to be a strong partner for the protection of Europe, first, it must itself observe and respect international law. Turkey never did this. It remains a troublemaker in the wider Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean region.
Even, after the end of the Second World War and to this day continues to be a state that does not respect international legality and does its usual Oriental bazaars! Hey! Such a country cannot belong to Europe. A simple historical reference to Turkey's attempt to become a member of the EU proves firmly that Turkey can never belong to Europe.
An associate member since 1963, Turkey signed a customs union agreement with the EU in 1995. In 1999, at the Helsinki European Council, it was granted candidate status. Accession negotiations began on October 3rd ,2005. As foreseen in the negotiating framework, in the Annual Progress reports and in a series of EUR conclusions.
Special emphasis was given by the EU Council:
- (a) respect for the sovereign rights of member states to explore and exploit their natural resources,
- (b) removing the threat of war against Greece,
- (c) the fulfillment of Turkey's obligations towards the Republic of Cyprus,
- (d) to effectively deal with illegal immigration from the East,
- (e) the accession of Turkey to the UN convention on the law of the sea on the law, which is a community acquis.
- (f) the delinquent behavior of Turkey in the Aegean as a problem that, inter alia, concerns the safety of flights in the region,
- (g) to defend the rights of the Greek minority in Turkey and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Turkey has not fulfilled any of the above. Turkey's illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, violations of Greek airspace, as well as the illegal partial opening of Varosha in Famagusta, are examples explicitly mentioned in the report, which also condemns Turkey's involvement in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan. Is it still killing or not, innocent people today? Thus, Turkey remains a warlike country. The ideology of the Turks is “Forever Warriors who will exterminate the infidels”.
Can Mr. Cavusoglu answer us why when Kurds sing at weddings, their Kurdish songs are taken to court, or when a family wants to give a Kurdish name to their child they are banned? Are 10 MPs and 50 mayors, Kurds (even elected with large majorities) in prison?
Revealing is a recent interview of former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on a Greek channel (OPEN), who emphasizes that Turkey's goal is to divide the European Union. As he stressed, " I never considered the Greek-Turkish and partly the Turkish-Cypriot problems as bilateral between Greece and Turkey.
No, no, no, it's a European problem. Greece is a member of the EU, Cyprus is the same, so I ask for at least solidarity with these two countries." to continue: "Turkey does not behave as a country that is a candidate for the EU. I am really disappointed by the way the Turks behave in the Mediterranean, the exploration and mining, and the way they behave towards the Greek nation."
Thus, after all these years (almost 60!), Turkey has not succeeded in joining Europe! And, Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, dares to say that Turkey belongs to Europe? No little shame?
It is therefore obvious that the policy of today's Turkey is completely absent from the wider pro-Western and peace-loving framework of prosperity even of its own people. From all the above, today's Turkey cannot be considered Europe! And certainly, Europe has no need of today's Turkey.
Even worse is for European leaders to think they have something to gain from today's belligerent Turkey. Because if the European leaders do not understand it, the people of Europe will soon experience it very warmly and will rebel. And then let's see where the European oligarchs will go to hide! Probably in "Turkish prisons and harems" that will be in deep Asia and not in European soils.
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