Can Baydarol spoke at the Near East Institute Security Academy.
Within the frame of Turkey-EU Relations the Security in TRNC was discussed in detail at the Security Academy Certificate Program that organized by the Near East University Near East Institute.
Within the scope of the Security Academy Certificate Program organized by Near East University, Near East Institute, European Union Expert Dr. Can Baydarol gave a seminar on "Germany and France oriented Turkey-EU relations, and its possible impacts on TRNC".
The Directorate of Press and Public Relations Office of Near East University released that the Security Academy Certificate Program continues to host many significant speakers with different topics on security issues. Field experts, scholars, senior bureaucrats, diplomats, policy makers and politicians participate in the Security Academy Certificate Program as invitee speakers and address various security issues under the light of the latest developments.
The Security Academy Certificate Program is held at the Near East University Hospital Conference Hall 101 at 10:00 every Saturday. This week, the Security Academy hosted the EU Expert Dr. Can Baydarol for a seminar on "Germany and France oriented Turkey-EU relations, and its possible impacts on TRNC".
Dr. Can Baydarol "In the conditions brought by strategic factors, the importance of Cyprus continues to keep its place"
Touching upon the inconsistency experienced in Turkey-European Union relations, EU Expert Dr. Can Baydarol shared his views: "When we lay together the paradigm that we are experiencing in Turkey-EU relations, it is an absolute paradigm of uncertainties. There are three turning points in history. The first was the sharing of the world in 4-11 February 1945 with Yalta Conference, Cold War and the sharing of roles according to it. The second is the Fall of Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, which is a completely different paradigm. The third is the attack to the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2011, which is also another completely different paradigm. Currently, there is another completely distinctive paradigm. May 16, 1916 The Sykes-Picot Agreement has collapsed. So the actors and roles change whenever a paradigm changes. Middle East is experiencing a different situation this time. Due to its strategic nature, Cyprus is like a no-cost aircraft carrier in the middle of all these. If 200,000 crazy Turks and 600,000 stark mad Greeks gathered in the same island and left to the Indian Ocean, no one would care. However, due to present strategic factors, Cyprus continues to carry on it importance. While Cyprus keeps its strategic importance, we have to have a closer look into some present issues such as relations between Turkey and the USA, relations between Turkey and the European Union and the impacts of these relations on TRNC. Besides, we need to probe whether North Cyprus still has its importance or the Greek Part gains more strategic importance. Because on one side there are changing world conditions, on the other there is fixed geography. These two must be considered and evaluated simultaneously".
Baydarol: "The European Union is in a squashed situation against real politics"
When the Maastricht Treaty came into force, everybody began to say that something like European Union merged to lay the foundation stones for significantly expanded cooperation and a common foreign policy and security policy. In fact the integrity of the union wasn't established on the day that the Maastricht Treaty came into force. It only revealed the aim of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe. The leg that called Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) caused highly-charged discussions in the early 2000s. At first, it seemed that Europe was discussing the issue of defense and security identity, then it was understood that what Europe was trying to do was a system aiming to use American weapons and Turkish soldiers while they remain at the decision table. So it has become apparent that the European Union would not be a hegemonic world power in this sense. The EU came to the point of being a soft power when it could not progress towards being a hard power. There, too, the famous Copenhagen Criteria emerged which were discussed a lot at the beginning of the 2000s, and still need to be discussed. In this context, much more democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities were discussed. The facts that hold the number one place in real policy constitute the basis of foreign policy which can’t be based on dreams. That is, there is real policy at present. Democracy is very nice, but there are realities on the one hand, and the European Union is squashed in the face of those facts. While making remarks on democracy and human rights, the European Union appears completely deaf and blind and doesn't do anything for Syrian migrants. Then, there is a Europe that began to lose its credibility; the point at which the EU lost its credibility is the opposing attitude demonstrated for Turkey at the point of being a soft power. The EU has missed the opportunity to give the message that it is not just a Christian club. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus that accepts the Annan Plan is out of the European Union and under the embargoes, but the side that rejected the step taken for peace has been accepted as a member of EU. Your credibility dies out from the moment you give this image” noted he.