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Turkish military cadets at Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2005, during a ceremony to mark the 82nd anniversary of the departure of British forces from the city. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer)
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INDEPTH: TURKEY
Turkey: Where East meets West
CBC News Online | May 9, 2006
Turkey is the meeting place of two fundamentally different cultures. It is part of both Europe and Asia - that part of the country west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe. Cross that strait and you are in Asia.
Turkey shares borders with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. It has long nurtured ties with the West through its membership in NATO. In early October 2005, after years of on-and-off talks, Turkey and the European Union agreed to begin formal negotiations so the country could eventually join the EU.
Surveys show mixed feelings in Turkey's population to stronger ties with both Europe and the United States. France and Austria both tried to block Turkey's formal entry to the EU in a way the Turkish media said was "rude." Anti-American sentiment has grown with the increasing instability in the region following the invasion of Iraq.
Modern History
Modern Turkey was formed 1923 from the remains of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of the First World War. The country was united under a secular constitution mainly through the leadership of Mustafa Kemal. He was later honoured with the title Ataturk or "Father of the Turks."
Ataturk saw the Muslim way as backward. He closed mosques and religious schools and banned the wearing of beards and headscarves. Today the country is 99.8-per-cent Muslim and while religion plays a major role in the everyday lives of millions the government remains secular.
In the final years of the Ottoman Empire, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians died in what would be eastern Turkey. The Armenians have insisted their people were systematically killed during and after the First World War as the Ottoman Empire tried to quell the population in the region.
The Turkish government has long denied claims of genocide. It has argued that the number of people who died was far lower and that the deaths followed an uprising of Armenian militants - not a government eradication campaign.
Several countries have been trying to pressure the Turkish government to acknowledge that what happened was genocide. In 2001, France passed legislation recognizing the Armenian deaths as genocide. Months later, Turkey cancelled millions of dollars in defence deals with French contractors.
On April 21, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated his support for past votes in the House of Commons and the Senate that the deaths should be recognized as genocide. At the same time, France was considering draft legislation that would make denial of the Armenian genocide a crime.
On May 8, 2006, Turkey recalled its ambassadors to Canada and France for "consultations." Turkish media speculated that Canadian bidders would be shut out of a project to build a new nuclear reactor in the Black Sea coastal town of Sinop.
Economy
Turkey's economy is modernized in certain industries, such as textiles and clothing, and more traditional in others, including agriculture.
The Turkish government declared that 2005 would be “the year of privatization.” Despite initial skepticism from international investors, there have been a number of deals.
Most important was the sale in September 2005 of 51 per cent of state oil company Tupras to a partnership between Shell and Turkey’s Koc Holdings. International financial institutions have announced plans to buy stakes in and bolster Turkey’s relatively weak banks, which could in turn provide capital for further investment.
A lot of the money is coming from other Arab states, which alarms some secular Turks. Unions are also challenging the privatization plans in court.
In the lead-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Turkey had been negotiating with the U.S. for billions of dollars in economic aid, but the deal was quashed when the Turkish parliament voted against allowing American forces to use the country's air bases.
Relations with Canada
Turkey is described by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade as Canada's "friend and an ally." The countries are both members of NATO. Canada is working on improving trade with Turkey as a way into former Soviet countries nearby.
Two-way trade between Canada and Turkey tripled in the 1990s and sat at approximately $666 million in 2002. Canada's ambassador to Turkey is Yves Brodeur and his counterpart is Aydemir Erman.
Position on Iraq
During the U.S.-led war on Iraq in 2003, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan walked a fine line between supporting Washington and appeasing his people, who were largely opposed to the war. Two days after the U.S. launched its attack, Turkey's parliament narrowly rejected a deal that would have allowed about 62,000 American troops on its soil in exchange for about $15 billion US in loans and grants. Although the deal was quashed, U.S. President George W. Bush issued a $74.7-billion supplementary war budget request to congress on March 25 that included $1 billion in funds for Turkey.
Turkey is now keeping a wary eye on the future of Iraq, especially the Kurdish north, where there are calls for an independent Kurdish state that could include the restive minority Kurds in eastern Turkey.
Turkey and the European Union
The negotiations for Turkey’s entry into the European Union are expected to take several years.
Turkey must agree to adopt more than 80,000 pages of EU law, including controversial areas such as justice and human rights.
All 25 current EU members must then agree that Turkey has fulfilled its obligations, and that could give opponents plenty of opportunity to find ways of slowing or stopping any final agreement. A number of European leaders have criticized Turkey’s human rights policies.
Another headache is the continuing disagreement over the future of the island of Cyprus, which is divided between Greek and Turkish areas. The Greek Cypriot government has said it wants to join NATO.
In Europe, some believe that the EU has become too big both in size and power, which is why the new EU constitution has been defeated in a couple of recent referendums.
Both France and Austria have also said they want referendums on whether or not to approve Turkey’s final entry. French President Jacques Chirac has said there must be a “cultural revolution” before Turkey is admitted. There is also a growing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment in many European countries. Turkey’s entry into the EU would open the borders.
In Turkey, on the other hand, those who want to return the country to its Islamic roots oppose entry into the EU, which would ensure Turkey would remain largely secular.
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| QUICK FACTS: |
Population: 68,109,469 (July 2003 est.).
Capital: Ankara.
Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Major languages: Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian and Greek.
Major religions: 99.8 per cent Muslim.
Area total: 780,580 sq. km.
Border countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Natural resources: Antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulphur and iron ore.
Exports to Canada: $400.5 million (2002)
Imports from Canada: $265.5 million (2002)
Sources: CIA, DFAIT
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 Evan Dyer reports on CBC Radio's Dispatches (Runs 16:11)
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