IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu made a statement on the occasion of 9 May European Day. Chairman Zeytinoğlu celebrated the European Day of whole Europe and highlighted the need for the European values to be more significant and valid today more than ever. Ayhan Zeytinoğlu remarked that IKV, the oldest NGO working on the EU in Turkey, celebrates the European Day whole week with concerts, conferences and forums as Istanbul EU Information Centre. While highlighting that the world is going through a torminous change and transformation, IKV Chairman underlined that the existence of the EU as a peace and democracy project is of great importance in this period.

Chairman Zeytinoğlu stated as follows: “While our world globalises and the world’s each end becomes more linked with the other, tension and fault lines gradually become clearer. The US, under the presidency of Donald Trump, has taken steps to undermine the multilateral liberal world order, which left structures like the EU in a difficult situation. The withdrawal from Iran nuclear agreement was added to withdrawals from the Paris Agreement on climate change, Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. It is crucial that the EU sustains its existence as a peace, democracy and cooperation project in the face of steps that change known parameters and lead turbulence in the balance of power. Hence, Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini’s supporting statement towards the nuclear deal against the US President Trump’s withdrawal statement demonstrates the EU’s support for the solution of international issues through diplomatic and peaceful means. In today’s world, this attitude must be unifying.”

“The EU can make a difference with Turkey”

Chairman Zeytinoğlu continued his words with the evaluation that in spite of the difficult period in relations with the EU, Turkey still retains its importance:

“In today’s world where fault lines get sharpened gradually and tension points increase, the EU should gain power together with Turkey and give an important message to the whole world. This message should be ‘The EU commits to its values and applies them to all candidate countries without discrimination’. Artificial barriers before Turkey’s EU membership should be removed and a strong political will on Turkey becoming a member in case all criteria fulfilled must be established. In this case, during Turkey’s normalisation process, the EU bid will play a driving role again. With Turkey as a member, the Union can prove that it is still in a determinant, difference maker and leading position in today’s globalising world.”

“The EU is the antidote of populism”

Lastly, IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu touched upon the populist movements trending in the EU countries and stressed that the EU ideal and values will be the antidote to these movements:

“The populist movements trending in several EU countries is fed by notions such xenophobia, racism and authoritarianism. These movements, which also oppose the European ideal, pose a threat that could undermine the achievements of the last 70 years of Europe. Against all these, the EU should embrace all its values, and these values need to be proven by policies that apply to everyone without discrimination of religion, language and race. Lastly, the manifestation concerning the change of some verses of the Quran put forward by 300 prominent French, including the former France President Sarkozy, implicate a protest against the EU values. For the EU to be credible, it should stick by its values in the face of these kinds of incidences. The EU can be an antidote to rising populism only if it adopts an equalitarian manner.”