The other side of the coin: the growing opposition in turkey against to the european union accession

VI.1. A Comparative Perspective: Ottoman Empire and Turkey's Relations with Western Countries
Prof. Manisalı⁹⁷ compares agreements between Ottoman Empire and European countries during 19^th century with between the EU and Turkey that had been started after the establishment of European Economic Community; besides taking attention “progressive and modernized” changes on judicial system. He indicated that Treaty of Balta Liman (1838), Tanzimât Fermânı (1839) and Islâhat Fermânı (1856)⁹⁸ brought about the impact and control of the European countries on economic, political, cultural, and military areas of Ottoman Empire. Afterwards, Europeans started to divide and share the territories of Ottoman Empire.⁹⁹ Turkey was established on October 29, 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who determined a balance policy not only on the relations with the Western countries but also Eastern countries that comprise the basis of the protection of mutual interests. Furthermore, Mustafa Kemal cooperated with Soviet Union against to the European imperialism to block the demands of Europe on Republic of Turkey.¹⁰⁰
After the Second World War, Turkey was not enrolled only in NATO but also the other international organizations that were established by Western (Europe and USA) countries. Prof. Manisalı underlines that Turkey was taking under control step by step. The bureaucracy in Turkey had started to have pro-Western thoughts that caused to create one-sided politics in Turkey. Besides criticizing the Ankara Agreement with ECC on September 1963 as a mistake; he points out that Turkey signed this agreement by aiming to block relations between the Greece and the Western countries. In in middle of the 1950s, Turkey and Greece started to be in competition on the Western relations. However, as the result of this competition, Greece became full member of the EEC in 1981 and thenceforward Greece started to drive Turkey into a corner. Prof. Manisalı also determines that Greece gained the Aegean islands and Cyprus through the EU.¹⁰¹ Meanwhile, Turkey was started to connect to the EU with one-sided relations of Western countries.
During the period, which Ankara Agreement was signed, European countries were under the political and economic guidance of USA and the future plans on the relations with European countries were not exist at that time in Turkey. Nevertheless, in course of time, EEC developed in economic and political issues and became EU in accordance with the Maastricht Treaty (1991) by changing its structures and features after the collapse of Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the policies, with regard to Turkey, of the EU and the USA speed up and the relations between Turkey and the EU were also differentiated as well. As Prof. Manisalı stated “the territory to be brought under control without taking in” the way of perception was started in EU with the relations with Turkey. As the results of these developments, the separatist and fundamentalist people, as well as people who are not nationalist, in Turkey became a part of the Western politics that divided Turkey in two main groups such as “Nationalist” and “the people who give the green light to demands of the EU and the USA”.¹⁰²