Turkish EU bid could be cure to Europe’s growing far right

Turkey’s accession to the European Union might be just what the doctor ordered to counter the rise of the far right on the continent, Galatasaray University’s Ahmet İnsel says, noting that it could usher in a period of normalization Barçın Yinanç barcin.yinanc@hurriyet.com.tr Last week’s EU elections might have catapulted far
right, anti-Turkish euroskeptics into Parliament, but Ankara’s moribund
bid to join the 28-nation club could actually provide an antidote to
such extremist parties, according to a Turkish scholar.

“Turkey’s membership would mean a serious increase of an Islamic
population within the EU; that will no longer be an issue of a foreign
threat,” said Ahmet İnsel, noting that Turkey in Europe would lead to a
normalization period putting paid to clichés of Christian Europe versus
Middle Eastern Islam.

At the same time, Turkey could only join the EU if there are “two circles” of different levels of EU integration, he said.

What do the European Parliament election results tell us about Europe?

The European Parliament is not creating enthusiasm among the European
electorate. This is not new; but the fact that there is a disconnection
between the European Parliament and the electorate has been
consolidated. But the lack of interest is not at the level of getting
out of the EU. This is about the gap between expectations created by the EU and those provided by being a member of the EU.

What should we expect as to the future of the EU?

The cost and
the chaos of getting out of the EU are higher than the present one. It
can continue this way, with the discontent rising and with even
mainstream...