To Join or Not to Join the EU

(A Call to My Turkish Brothers)

Seventeen years ago, in 2007, I wrote an article titled 'A Situation Assessment' with my Turkish brothers and published it on the internet. Except for a small racist minority, everyone appreciated it.

If my Turkish brothers, especially the Turkish Republic, were to implement that article, the 21st century would become the Turkish era; the Turkish Republic, with its state and nation, would rise above the level of contemporary civilizations. Otherwise, as outlined in some global powers' Plan C, they will be left impoverished, agitating their religious sentiments and being terrorized, especially against the Christian faith, in the civilized world. As a result, they will be driven to Central Asia. I am sharing that article with you, my esteemed friends, with just eight words changed. Now, instead of a literary article, I will put down only five notes. I cannot write literature because the situation is critical for the fate of the Turks. Hopefully, Turkish nationalists will take these notes seriously.

First Note: The history of the Turks is not very ancient. The Turks were nomads until 2200 years ago. They used to say, 'Flour and sheep, the rest is a game.' 2200 years ago, they attacked China, which was civilized and prosperous at the time. China built a wall 21,600 kilometers long against them since then, lasting until the 1700s. When the Huns couldn't compete with China, they turned to Europe. Their modus operandi was as follows: Everything would be looted, and a portion of the population would stay and settle in the looted regions. Present-day Hungary is the descendants of these Huns. Indeed, their country is called Hungaria. These attacks also extended towards the Middle East."

The last attack on the Middle East was carried out by the invasions of Genghis Khan and Hulagu. They would put to the sword anyone who resisted them in every city. They annihilated the entire legacy of Islamic civilization and spilled it into the Tigris and Euphrates. There is a God, and about three hundred years ago, the Seljuk invasions came to civilize thanks to Islam and even served Islam. But Genghis and his grandson Hulagu had also eradicated them.

However, the Ottoman Principality, which was their residue, acquired all the accumulated knowledge of the Seljuks and the Abbasids and established an empire that would rule for 600 years. And they targeted not the Middle East but the Balkans and Europe. They were not as destructive as the Huns and the Mongols, but Europe suffered greatly. Finally, they buried the Ottoman Empire in history with World War I. For the Turks, they granted independence in exchange for a Treaty of Lausanne that would not attack Europe but rather be friends. Every year, on the anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, the National Security Council (MGK) feels the need to declare, 'We are implementing that treaty verbatim and as it is.' In other words, if the Turks nurture enmity towards Europe and procure weapons for this purpose, they will destroy Lausanne and therefore independence with their own hands. This means there will be war again. They say the First World War is not a finished war. Yes, despite all the negativity, the establishment and survival of the Republic of Turkey for a hundred years is a result of the genius of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Otherwise, the Turks would be living in Central Asia right now.

Second Note: In the meantime, when communism became a threat to the entire world and World War II broke out due to Hitler, the situation changed, and Lausanne was relaxed a bit. Europe, in order to be free and civilized, formed a union. The price for this was ninety million deaths in both World Wars. Now they needed the Turks. Indeed, they first admitted Turkey to NATO. Twenty years later, they invited them to Partnership. But this time, there were some criteria that would be in favor of the Turks, not difficulties. However, despite 50 years passing, Turkey did not fulfill these criteria and does not want to. On the contrary, it is preparing for war. Because if Europe's criteria are met, the people will win, and the rich will lose their ill-gotten wealth through corruption. Unfortunately, the state is still in the hands of a racist minority dreaming of an empire and an unjustly gained rich class. Until 2002, this rich class consisted of Kemalists and the military. When the AK Party (Justice and Development Party) was founded, a second class called 'Islamists,' who are considered as only having political power, emerged. In that year, I had a dream that the National Vision Movement and the Kemalists were conducting joint exercises on Çankaya Hill. Despite some conservative groups, like the Nur community, saying, 'We are no longer in the age of hostility, we are advocates of love,' some, like ISIS, still harbor enmity towards the West and the Christian religion. However, if Turkey fulfills European criteria and becomes a full member, all of the following beauties will come to fruition; Turks, Kurds, and the Islamic faith will all breathe freely. The most important criteria and expectations from Turkey are as follows:"

Political Criterias:

The presence of institutions that guarantee democracy, the rule of law, respect for and protection of human rights, and respect for minorities is required.

Countries aspiring to join the EU will be evaluated based on four main criteria:

1. The presence of a stable and institutionalized democracy.

2. The rule of law and the primacy of law.

3. Respect for human rights.

4. Protection of minorities.

In general, the country should be governed by a multi-party democratic system, respect the rule of law, not have the death penalty, not engage in discrimination against minorities, not engage in racial discrimination, prohibit all forms of discrimination against women, unconditionally accept all articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, and accept the European Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, the presence of these conditions alone is not sufficient; they must also be continuously implemented.

Economic Criterias:

In addition to having a functioning market economy, countries seeking EU membership must also have the capacity to withstand market forces and competition pressures within the Union.

According to the results of the Copenhagen Summit, in addition to the presence of a functional market economy, the ability to cope with market forces and competition pressures within the EU is also required.

For an efficient market economy, the following conditions must be met:

1. The supply-demand balance should be established through independent interaction of market forces.

2. Prices, as well as trade, should be liberalized, and there should be no barriers to market entry (opening new companies) and exit (bankruptcies).

3. There should be a legal system that includes regulations covering intellectual and industrial property rights and these laws and regulations should be enforceable.

4. Economic stability, including price stability, should be achieved, and sustainable external balance should exist.

5. There should be a wide consensus on the requirements of economic policies.

6. The financial sector should be well developed enough to direct savings towards production investments.

To ensure competitiveness within the EU:

1. There should be an environment for making decisions in a predictable and stable manner for macroeconomic stability of economic institutions.

2. There should be an adequate amount of physical and human capital, including infrastructure, education, and research.

3. Companies should have the capacity to adapt to technology.

Indicators of competitiveness include having a certain level of trade partnership with the Union before accession and the proportion of small firms in the country's economy.

Criteria for compliance with the Community acquis:

In order to accept the EU's political and economic unity goals, the ability to undertake membership obligations must be present.

For effective participation in the EU's common foreign and security policy, candidate countries must be prepared. In terms of economic and monetary union, participation in decisions taken by member countries on issues such as the independence of the central bank, coordination of economic policies, participation in the Stability and Growth Pact, and prohibition of financing public sector deficits by the central bank is required.

Compliance with the decisions taken by the EU and the laws applied by the EU includes:

1. Compliance with the conditions stipulated in partnership agreements such as the Customs Union, the free movement of goods, and the free movement of capital as specified in partnership agreements.

2. Alignment with the acquis communautaire that necessitates access to the single market.

3. Alignment with all regulations in various fields including agriculture, communication and information technologies, the environment, transportation, energy, transportation, consumer rights, justice and home affairs, labor and social rights, education and youth, taxation, statistics, regional policies, and general foreign and security policy of the Community.

The Maastricht Criteria:

The Maastricht Treaty outlines the mandatory conditions for the participation of member states in the Economic and Monetary Union within the EU.

The mandatory conditions specified in the Maastricht Treaty for member states to join the Economic and Monetary Union can be grouped under two general headings: making gradual legal changes to make central banks independent and aligning with "macroeconomic convergence criteria."

• Each member's annual average inflation rate should not exceed the annual inflation rate average of the three member states with the lowest inflation rates by more than 1.5 percentage points.

• Member states' planned or actual budget deficits should not exceed 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP).

• Member states' planned or actual public debt stocks should not exceed 60% of their gross domestic product (GDP).

• Each member state should not exceed a 2 percentage point deviation from the average nominal long-term interest rate of the three member states with the best price stability.

• Member states' national currencies should stay within the "normal" fluctuation margin allowed by the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. (Currently at 15%, but almost all countries maintain a 2.25% margin.)

Two Additional Notes:

1) Unfortunately, due to the absence of all these 25 criteria in Turkey, the Turkish nation is losing 500 billion dollars every year. Seventy percent of the population earns less than 12,000 Turkish Lira, equivalent to today's currency. In other words, seventy percent live below the poverty line. Yes, we are in a worse situation than slavery because in slavery, the master and the slave would at least share the same table. This is what the Quran commands.

2) In 2002, the AK Party was a party founded by freedom-loving and impoverished people. They were able to become a candidate for the European Union. However, when both arms of the deep state did not allow them, they said, "Let's at least get rich." And with the best estimate, they made 55 trillion Turkish Liras in 22 years. Now, they too no longer want to join the European Union. They say, "If Europe doesn't want us, we don't want them either." However, Europe was able to achieve these criteria over the bodies of ninety million dead. Otherwise, they were also fighting each other before.

A Joke: Temel had a debt to Dursun, but Dursun was refusing to pay. So, Temel took Dursun to court. In court, Temel said, "Your Honor, I have a debt of one million from this man named Dursun, and he won't pay." When Dursun responded, "No, Your Honor, I don't even know this man," Temel replied, "Well, if he doesn't know me, then I don't know him either," and thus, the debt case was dismissed. Unfortunately, these days, Turkey is living out this joke with Europe in the same way.

Third Note: All the philosophers in Germany, whether religious or not, are truly geniuses. One of them, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, once stated, "There is a spirit of the age, and those who cannot keep pace with it are eliminated." Similarly, Bediüzzaman, in his book "Münazarat" emphasized that our era is the age of civilization, science and friendships. He warned that those who wield swords will ultimately fall victim to their own swords, especially harming the poor and vulnerable. He urged for change and adaptation to the new era, saying that sticking to the old ways is either impossible or leads to destruction.

However, it is disheartening to observe that Turkey, instead of adhering to these admirable criteria, allocates a significant portion of its investments to arms production, similar to North Korea. Neglecting the most strategic sector of our time, the food industry, Turkey is being led towards old imperialistic dreams, which are not well-received by the Western world. They may even be secretly stockpiling nuclear weapons for uncertain days.

To all individuals who do not hold racist views and genuinely love their nation, I say: The era of relying on weapons is over. The real focus should be on sciences, software, and genuinely understood, superstition-free universal truths in religions. Turkey, with its vibrant young population, has the potential to rapidly surpass the level of contemporary civilizations thanks to the established criteria of Europe. It can become a global leader, have a say in the United Nations, and achieve greatness. Merely proclaiming "Five nations are greater than the world" without producing anything will not yield results.

However, I fear that Turkey may face obstacles on its path to European Union membership due to concerns that it is too religious and nationalistic to transfer powers to the EU. Joining the EU requires some degree of delegation of authority, and for this reason, Europe may plan to keep Turkey in a limited partnership, such as the Customs Union, to maintain control over them.

Furthermore, it should be noted that both Russians and Turks are entangled in their old imperialistic dreams and are unwilling to transfer authority, which ultimately results in suffering and oppression.

In conclusion, the note underscores the importance of Turkey adapting to the current era, prioritizing scientific and economic progress, and playing a leading role on the global stage. However, it also highlights potential challenges and concerns that may hinder Turkey's integration with the European Union.

Fourth Note: Existence, especially biological and social life, is built upon dialectical opposites. Among these opposites, savagery and civilization, or in other words, plunder and prosperity, stand out. Throughout the last forty thousand years of human history, this dialectical conflict has persisted, and humanity has continued to evolve through it. This dialectical law is symbolized by the Zulqarnain and Gog-Magog wars. Therefore, the history of Zulqarnain is not the history of a single individual; it represents the collective personality of political and civilizational leaders who have fought against savagery, plunder, and cannibalism throughout history, primarily utilizing tools like the Great Wall of China, castles, fortifications, weapons, and more, especially the Prophets.

These leaders embody the plus-minus, East-West, science-faith dichotomies and have been those who have stood up against Gog-Magog (anarchy) that devours both itself and humanity. For a universal interpretation of this concept, one can refer to Said Nursi's works, particularly "Muhakemat" (Rational Arguments) and "Lem'alar"(Flashes). Said Nursi further emphasizes that as defense weapons have changed over the past forty thousand years, the weapon of our era is now a combination of sound ideas and a healthy faith. Otherwise, misinterpreting the sciences of humanity may lead to the loss of all civilizational, humane, and sacred values, resulting in a return to the old savagery, but even more violently. Against this, even atomic bombs will no longer be effective. The sole weapon is now healthy sciences and the Christian-Islamic Alliance.

The Turkish nation, by taking on such a mission, can atone for the sin of Gog-Magog that it committed 2,200 years ago. Turkish brethren, do not be offended. All valuable Islamic sources point to Gog-Magog as the pre-Islamic Turks. Let us unite with Europe in civilization, economy, and sciences to fulfill this historic mission dictated by destiny. Do not claim that Western sciences contradict our religion or that Christianity is corrupted. I have elucidated these points thoroughly in my fifteen books, all of which were published by Gülnar Publications (a publication house in Turkey) this year.

Fifth Note: In the Holy Scriptures, there is a miraculous piece of information regarding Gog-Magog in the Book of Ezekiel. Our hadith books contain different and contradictory explanations on this matter, which have been published on the internet. The summary is as follows: Gog-Magog cannot cross the barrier and engage in plunder. In the near future, they will cross the barrier and devastate everything like a locust plague. Their numbers will be many times greater than the civil population.

In the Book of Ezekiel, it is stated: "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes." (Ezekiel 38:14-16)

Key points from this passage:

1) "Son of man, prophesy," which means the first weapon against plunder and anarchy (Gog) is civilization and religion. "Son of man" refers to civilized humanity, not necessarily the first human being. Adam represents the first civilized human being. Israel is not an exclusive term for Jews; it denotes any nation that abides by God's laws, such as overcoming the laws of hunger and disease imposed by God.

2) This plunder and savagery, instigated by God, will afflict humanity when the civilized world feels secure and indulges in worldly pleasures rather than adhering to sacred values. Gog is unaware of this divine plan but will lead a rampage by bringing other nations under his banner through hunger.

3) Gog will come from the north, particularly describing Central Asia and Nhuman rights; democracy; eu; Maastricht Criteria; AK Party; gog magog; gog and magog; islamic studies; religious studies; European Union; turkey; turks; history of turks; communism; Hunsorth Tataristan. Humanity has built walls and fortifications like the Great Wall of China and the Caucasus' Derbent to defend against them, often constructed under the leadership of Iran's civil rulers.

4) Here, only Gog is mentioned, while in the Bible-Revelation, there is Gog-Magog. This is because, during the end times, anarchy (Gog) will devour itself and others. The ancient Turk and Tatar invasions were primarily directed at the civilized world, not against each other.

5) When it says "the last days," it means the period close to the Day of Judgment. During this time, God is blessing with Gog and Magog. Because the entire civilized world has become godless, God will punish and bless the civilized world with Gog and Magog.

18.09.2023

Bahaeddin Sağlam