Sunday, March 13, 2011

Turkey being emotional and sensitive and the EU being factual and realistic

The governor of Mardin, Hasan Duruer, told the delegation that thanks to Turkey’s recent outreach to countries from North Africa to the Far East, it soon may not need the EU at all.

Pierini [the head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey] pointed out 90 percent of direct investment and 80 percent of technology in Turkey was still coming from EU countries. Such an exchange between the governor and the ambassador shows that the negotiation process is all about Turkey being emotional and sensitive and the EU being factual and realistic.

Today's Zaman 13-3-2011

If someone here feels very strongly that he wants two plus two to make ten, then—voilà!—that’s what it means, and there is an emotional truth to it, in the mind of the speaker, that is morally more important than any literal truth. ... [Turks] see “truth” as something plastic, connected more to emotions than to facts or logic. If it feels true, it is true. ... utter uselessness, for [Turks], of our Western notions of truth and logic.
World Affairs Journal Jul-Aug 2010

Sunday's Zaman "Eventful trip to Turkey’s SE with union ambassadors resembles Turkey’s EU journey" 13 March 2011, Sunday / MUHLIS KAÇAR, ANKARA


Smile and Smile: Turkey's Feel-Good Foreign Policy Claire Berlinski | WORLD AFFAIRS JOURNAL July-August 2010.