Europeans are slow to anger but hard to forget wrongs. Relations between Turkey and Europe have not been easy and many ask if Turkish culture is fundamentally different from the cultures of European countries. Do the Turks agree with European principles or are they culturally closer to other Islamic countries?
Turkey has expressed interest in becoming a full member of the Union, but accession negotiations have been at a standstill since 2016. Turkey has been criticized by the EU for its human rights violations and inadequacies in the rule of law. EU representatives believe that Turkey's current policies violate the Copenhagen eligibility criteria for accession to the EU. As a result, Turkey's accession negotiations are effectively stalled and no further EU-Turkey customs union modernization work is planned or promised.’
A President of the European Commission said that Turkey is not ready to join the EU 'tomorrow or the day after', but we must continue to work with them. Others have made negative statements about Turkey's full accession, but do not want to lose Turkey as an important country,' with reference to the idea of a strategic partnership. During the European Parliament's electoral campaign, the presidential candidates expressed their points of view and even promised that Turkey would never join the EU. The reasoning behind this had to do with the fact that Turkey had turned its back on European democratic values. Many argue that Turkey is currently far from being an EU member. The Turkish government, after blocking Twitter, has also made it clear that it is not ready to join."
But some European leaders in speeches condemn how influential people see Turkey. For them, Turkey is a country that is falling apart.
But there are politicians in Turkey who regard the relationship between Europe and Turkey as a battle between the cross and the crescent". Also, in Turkey there are politicians who insult almost every day or accuse politicians of European governments as "Nazis" or terrorists. Furthermore, threats were launched by the Turks against Europeans who could no longer walk freely and safely. This is because Turkish ministers are prohibited from addressing strange political gatherings in Europe.
But for those who know a country preparing to join the EU, the process means more than membership itself. Once the necessary levels are achieved, Turkey will be able to continue its development even without accession. Turkey's overall objective is to arrive at a smooth accession process, but many problems are on the horizon.
But some concerned people were concerned that Turkey had long drifted away from the European Union, posing huge obstacles to its European behavior and standards. It is time that they argue to examine the differences between European and Turkish methods of operation or organization before proceeding. In Turkey, they think that democracy and freedom are "expressions" that are "absolutely worthless" in their country.
But despite observed differences, Turkey gains much from the interaction with the west. As an example, they say that Turkey has made huge sums of money around 6 billion euros to keep refugees and migrants living there.
Despite financial gains, the Turks have not changed their attitude against minorities or robust political objectives. To support this view comes the Turkish attitude towards the Kurdish population and the problems that the Turks have created at NATO in the Scandinavian affair. Turkey's objections in both cases have put the spotlight on Ankara’s role in the alliance. It is for many another proof that Turkey has no place in the West.
Firstly, Europeans are more likely to respect the law and the rules while Turks regard the rules as a simple game. After years of philosophical and social research, Europeans have arrived at the conclusion that society is one of the many most important assets. But for Turkish family and friends is the most important characteristic of society.
In terms of arguments, the Europeans have a dueling culture, while the Turks have an ambush culture. For Europeans, the best way to interact with others in society is to take a frank and honest stand or fight. But for the Turks usually working most of the time secretly backstage, trying to undermine others preferring methods of attack is the preferred route.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, once declared that "there are different cultures, but only one civilization". He supported the eastern origins of Turks as his phrase shows "we Turks have always gone from east to west.
Turkish culture is completely different from European culture and closer to Islamic culture. Turkey is seen in many ways as a secular country, but with strong traces of Islam] present. But nowadays, the leading AKP party can better express the vision and particularities of an Islamic state. The famous phrase: "Democracy is like a tram. we will go out when we reach the station we want" describes their real mentality.
However, relations with Turkey have recently worsened. The Russian threat has strengthened relations among all Member States except Turkey. This country has not applied sanctions to Russia, but instead increased problems with its neighbours such as Greece and Cyprus. Although energy issues in Europe are a major concern, Turkey refuses to provide energy to Europe by attacking hydrocarbon exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. Besides Turkey’s denials of all UN efforts to solve the Cyprus issue, is regarded by many Europeans as a hostile gesture. Finally, the creation of Turkey of tensions in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean and also of disputes over airspace with Greece is not a polite attitude at all. The erroneous belief of some Turks for their country being a ruler in the region as well as their serious internal problems is the source of the problems.
This behavior also reveals a striking difference in the appetite for life, which is when Europeans dream of doing something real, Turks dream of escaping reality for a moment.
This can be explained by the fact that Europeans have a more "controlled" mentality, that is, they really take care of their country while the Turks imagine unrealistic solutions to life. Finally, Europeans are sophisticated and calculating, and Turks are spirited and action-orientated. The differences with Europeans can be explained by their nomadic mentality, an important aspect of their Mongolian inheritance.
But European criticism appears well founded. Turkey's decision to purchase the Russian S-400 air defence system amidst warnings from the United States was considered a major flaw in European security. It may be explained as Turkey’s stance in its domestic politics but not only. But the problem created for the safety of Europe is huge, forcing them to consider that Turkey is moving away from European culture. Similarly, from Turkey's perspective, its allies do not take its security concerns sufficiently seriously. Opinion polls in Turkey reveal that mistrust toward the West, in general, has increased. Europeans conclude that it is not only the current Islamic party responsible for mistrust but the Turkish government that follows anti-western policies. However, what could be a turning point is Turkey's decision to become the transit center for Russia's exports after the sanctions imposed by the West. At the same time, Russian companies are opening offices in Turkey and entering into partnerships for trade.
The inevitable question “Is a divorce coming?”
Not an easy question. To estimate the changes, we need to take into account the Turkish elections that will take place before June 2023. If the popularity of the government continues to decline for many reasons, then unexpected and unanticipated actions against the West could occur. Difficult but necessary decisions must be taken.