. 24/7 Space News .
SUPERPOWERS
Erdogan's narrow win will quickly test EU relationship
By Marine LAOUCHEZ
Brussels (AFP) April 17, 2017


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's narrow victory in a referendum to strengthen his powers is likely to swiftly test his already worsening relations with the European Union.

Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey could hold another referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid -- and a further plebiscite on re-introducing the death penalty, a red line for the bloc that would exclude Ankara's candidacy.

Sunday's referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers came almost exactly 30 years after Turkey formally applied -- April 14, 1987 -- to join the EU.

Esra Ozyurek, an associate professor at the European Institute of the London School of Economics, said the fact that Erdogan had spoken so swiftly on the death penalty was an important indication.

"If he thinks that his anti-European language gains him votes, and nationalism definitely increases his vote, he may go with it," she said, noting Erdogan said such a step was "the first thing" he'd do next.

The Turkish strongman, however, did not get the unanimous outcome on Sunday that he had sought -- a slim majority of 51.41 percent voted to hand him boosted powers.

The vast majority of the constitutional reforms will follow a presidential election in 2019.

Ibrahim Dogus, founder and director of the Centre for Turkey Studies think-tank in London, said if Erdogan is to galvanise his supporters "he has to go harder and harder... on issues like the death penalty."

The referendum campaign was marked by virulent Erdogan invective against the EU and its leading states, accusing Germany of behaving like Nazis by banning numerous rallies by his ministers hoping to whip up the 'Yes' vote among expatriate Turks.

- End of the dream? -

Marc Pierini, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe focused on Turkey and the Middle East, said bringing back the death penalty would allow Erdogan to pin the blame on the EU for the end of the membership bid.

"Bringing back the death penalty would have two objectives: putting an end to any internal disagreement, and triggering a formal halt by the EU -- and not by Turkey -- of the accession negotiations," Pierini said.

Germany and France have both warned Turkey about the broad consequences of reinstating the death penalty, which was abolished in 2004.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if Ankara were to bring back capital punishment, the move would be "synonymous with the end of the European dream" and mark the end of decades of talks to enter the EU.

- 'Even more difficult' -

The referendum result and Turkey's difficult relations with the EU mean the two are "on a collision course", according to Amanda Paul, a Turkey specialist at the European Policy Centre in Brussels.

"I don't think it's going to make him more cautious vis-a-vis the EU, particularly because the result was so narrow," she said of Erdogan.

"We'll probably continue to see what we've been seeing for the past few months, a pretty anti-EU narrative, he's not going to change this."

Although the accession progress "has been dead for a long time", officially drawing it to a close would have longer-lasting implications domestically and abroad.

"They're going to be caught in an even more difficult situation now because clearly the nearly 50 percent of Turks that voted 'no' will be expecting the EU to continue to engage with Turkey, not to close the door on Turkey," Paul said.

"But I'm guessing a number of member states and possibly the European Parliament will be pushing for an official freezing of the accession process.

"I personally believe that a relationship between Turkey and the EU that is just based on economy and trade will be a significant blow to Turkish democrats and those that support reform and the modernisation of the country," she added.

"It's certainly not going to do them any favours. Furthermore if the EU continues to turn a blind eye to the democratic deficits in Turkey, what does it say about the EU as a value based actor?"

The most intransigent Europeans, such as Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, have already called for an end to accession negotiations.

SUPERPOWERS
Three years on, hopes fade for those trapped in Ukraine war
Donetsk, Ukraine (AFP) April 13, 2017
After three years of war, Irina and her husband Arkady have all but lost hope of ever seeing the day the big guns fall silent and Ukraine becomes whole again. The middle-aged couple live in the shelled-out northern outskirts of the Russian-backed separatist rebels' de facto capital city of Donetsk in the eastern industrial heartland of the divided former Soviet state. They speak Russian ... read more

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SUPERPOWERS
US giant Discovery plans huge Costa Rica eco-resort

Russian, American two-man crew blasts off to ISS

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatosphere: ISS Science to the Classroom

Two Russians, one American land back on Earth from ISS

SUPERPOWERS
Russia and US woo Brazil, hope to use advantageous base for space launches

Creation of carrier rocket for Baiterek Space Complex to cost Russia $500Mln

Dream Chaser to use Europe's next-generation docking system

Europe's largest sounding rocket launched from Esrange

SUPERPOWERS
NASA's MAVEN reveals Mars has metal in its atmosphere

Opportunity Mars rover on the way to Perseverance Valley

Chile desert combed for clues to life on Mars

Russia critcal to ExoMars Project says Italian Space Agency Head

SUPERPOWERS
Yuanwang fleet to carry out 19 space tracking tasks in 2017

China Develops Spaceship Capable of Moon Landing

Long March-7 Y2 ready for launch of China's first cargo spacecraft

China Seeks Space Rockets Launched from Airplanes

SUPERPOWERS
Commercial Space Operators To Canada: "We're Here, and We can Help"

Antenna Innovation Benefits the Government Customer

Ukraine in talks with ESA to become member

BRICS States Want to Expand Cooperation to Space Science

SUPERPOWERS
Space debris problem getting worse, say scientists

France's Melenchon returns with campaigning hologram

Waste Cadets: space plans mean more space junk, harder space exploration

SSL completes agreement to partner with DARPA on satellite servicing

SUPERPOWERS
Science fiction horror wriggles into reality with discovery of giant sulfur-powered shipworm

Earth-Sized 'Tatooine' Planets Could Be Habitable

Deep-sea animals make their own light

'Smart' cephalopods trade off genome evolution for prolific RNA editing

SUPERPOWERS
ALMA investigates 'DeeDee,' a distant, dim member of our solar system

Nap Time for New Horizons

Hubble spots auroras on Uranus

Cold' Great Spot discovered on Jupiter









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.