What the EU fails to see in the new Turkey

Erdoğan was in Finland as part of a three-country Europe tour that many had hoped would give a fresh boost to Turkey's stalled bid to join the EU, especially because it came in the wake of the opening of accession talks on a new chapter for the first time in three years. We don't know what the Finnish premier thought as he listened to Erdoğan, but as Erdoğan proceeded to the second stop of his Europe tour, Sweden, he was greeted by a flattering article penned by the country's internationally respected foreign minister, Carl Bildt. “Erdoğan's Turkey is on the right path,” read the headline of the article, which, rightly, lists why Turkey is an important partner for Europe. There was no mention of recent political debates Erdoğan initiated back at home recently, including the latest one in which he vowed a law to allow inspection of houses occupied by men and women students, an accommodation choice he said is against the values of the Turkish society and his “conservative democratic” party.

If it is not already clear what he is saying, the prime minister is talking about passing legislation to authorize the police to inspect private homes to check if adult citizens are living with someone from the opposite sex and prevent such accommodation.

A spokesman for EU's commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Füle, said the “choice in the matter should in principle be exercised by students and their families,” but failed to address the grave questions that the prime minister's remarks raised regarding respect for privacy and different lifestyles, saying, “This is an issue which primarily the Turkish society needs to solve.”

Füle himself was in Turkey, attending meetings with members of the government, as Erdoğan's remarks caused a nationwide uproar.

The debate on mixed-gender student houses reminded many of 2004, when the government attempted to criminalize adultery, but later backed down after strong opposition from the EU. The two issues are not really that apart, given the possibility that a law criminalizing adultery might be the law Erdoğan is talking about to allow measures against mixed-gender student houses. This time, however, the EU is silent, and even appears to be condoning his remarks.

The hope that Turkey will one day join the EU was perhaps the strongest source of motivation for all the praiseworthy reforms carried out by Erdoğan's government throughout the past years. There is every reason to argue that Turkey's accession bid should continue despite all the well-known obstacles -- stemming from the Cyprus dispute, European reluctance to let Turkey in and Turkish reluctance to maintain commitment to the EU at a time when it finds friendlier environments elsewhere. But it is time for Brussels to develop a fresh way to look at Turkey taking into consideration what is happening in the Turkey of 2013.

In the Turkey of 2013, there are legitimate concerns as to whether the government is still committed to its reformist agenda, whether freedoms are to be safeguarded, whether lifestyles that “conservative democrat” politicians may not necessarily consider commendable will remain under constitutional protection.

Turkey's “friends” in the EU deserve praise for the brave support they have given so far to Turkish membership, despite opposition from a sizable portion of their own public. Turkey is still a great partner for the EU and its eventual membership in the EU should be supported for all the right reasons in spite of all the opposing voices across Europe. But our friends in Europe should come to see the fact that the image of Turkey they still have in their mind might be that of the reformist Turkey of the recent past, like a dead star whose light still reaches the Earth. Offering blanket praise for the government runs the risk of encouraging its authoritarian tendencies and alienating the reformists in the country.

As a Turkish proverb says, good friends sometimes speak bitterly to each other. For Turkey's good friends in the EU, it is time for some bitter talk.