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

VI.2. MINORITIES ISSUES AND CYPRUS
VI.2.1. Minorities Issues
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, minority rights became more important on the changed relations between Turkey and the EU. The requests of the EU from Turkey were not only limited anymore with the economic issues such as market economy. Under the names of democracy, rule of law, human rights and protection of minority rights; the EU determined several criteria that needed more reforms in Turkey. However, those expected reforms were directly related with internal affairs of Turkey. In other words, if Turkey wants to become a member country of the EU, it has to solve its domestic issues that became the major obstacles for Turkish accession into the EU. Prof. Manisalı criticizes these criteria by declaring that Turkey will fall to pieces if it fulfills the requests of the EU.¹⁰³
On the other hand, the issues of minorities, especially, have greatest importance for the European Union. By pointing out the EU’s interest of minorities in Turkey, Prof. Manisalı also indicates that European Union is in an attempt to divide and split according to ethnic groups in Turkish nation that composed of different ethnic backgrounds. In the Treaty of Lausanne, that was signed in 1923 with countries which some of them are also among the EU member states, Armenians, Greeks and Jews were clearly stated as minorities in Turkey. European Union, however, evaluates various ethnicities, which form Turkish nation, under the title of minorities and provides support to the separatists.¹⁰⁴ It is important to denote that he is just one of many who think the same way. The people who are against to EU membership of Turkey share the same or similar arguments.
In addition to these arguments, under the title of “Vulnerable/Target Groups” the issues of minorities and Treaty of Lausanne were also stated on the latest report of The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) about Turkey.

ECRI Report on Turkey (2011), Article 82:

“… as the Turkish legal system presently stands, the term “minorities” is understood to refer only to certain specific non-Muslim minorities covered by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. This treaty has been interpreted restrictively in Turkey, having been deemed to apply only to Armenians, Greeks and Jews (sometimes collectively referred to as the “Lausanne minorities”). Persons having other ethnic origins – such as Assyrians, Caferis, Circassians, Ezidis, Kurds, Laz and Roma – are not officially recognised as belonging to a national or ethnic minority, and are not beneficiaries of the rights granted to the Lausanne minorities, although Turkey has, for example, acknowledged that there are “Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin” and “Turkish citizens of Roma origin” on its territory. Nor are Muslim Turkish citizens who are not Sunni Muslims considered to be minorities under Turkish law. In the present report and in keeping with its usual practice, ECRI has generally referred to all groups within Turkish society that have a distinct religion, national or ethnic origin, language or colour – regardless of whether they are recognised as minorities protected by the Treaty of Lausanne – as “minority groups”. The rights recognised to persons belonging to the various minority groups vary considerably, however, notably as a function of whether the group is or is not recognised under Turkish law as a minority covered by the Treaty of Lausanne.”¹⁰⁵

The claims of EU relating to democratization are comprehended as a revitalization project of Treaty of Sèvres¹⁰⁶, which comprised division of Ottoman Empire, that creates a threat to national sovereignty by most of the people who are against to the EU accession of Turkey. Two main articles of the treaty were pointing out creation of countries for Armenians and Kurds. In this context, two main questions or problems are come into prominence that need to analyze, namely the questions of Armenians as the most populated minority and Kurds as the most populated ethnic group. Therefore, the chapter will focus on these two problems by taking into consideration as major obstacles for Turkish accession into the EU.
Once again, it should be noted at this point to clarify that the perspectives and arguments which are stated in under this chapter, of course, does not cover the whole Turkey. These opinions do not belong to every Turkish citizen, not even maybe the majority of people in Turkey. However, these same or similar arguments can be found almost in every opposition researches which were made against to the EU accession. Therefore, the chapter just tries to present the general opinion of people who do not support the EU accession and who do not want to see Turkey as a member country of the EU.