One unfortunate consequence of the failure of the EU constitution is likely to be an indefinite delay in Turkey’s already uncertain bid to join the European Union. There is more than a hint of xenophobia in popular European resistance to the EU plans as well as real fear that the organization is expanding too quickly. It doesn’t look like there is any way that Europe will muster the political will necessary for the huge step of admitting Turkey.
But the world needs a successful modern secular democracy with a Moslem population. Turkey is already well on its way to that success. Even under a less fervently secular government than it had previously, Turkey has continued to liberalize – at least partly in hope of gaining the advantages of EU membership. It has even taken the politically correct step of banning the death penalty which may not be wise in a country which suffers terrorist attacks.
Although Turkey became secular and democratic on its own for its own good reasons and probably will stay that way for these same reasons, losing the hope of EU membership in the foreseeable future may be a blow to continued economic progress and secular democracy in Turkey.
So let’s invite Turkey to join the US, Canada, and Mexico in NAFTA (North American Free Trade Association). NAFTA is not as embracing an economic and political union as EU but that fact makes it easier, not harder, to add members. We don’t have to coordinate currencies and internal policies; we have neither the benefits or drawbacks of fully open borders. But we do have liberalized trade and limited ability to work in each other’s countries (which ought to be expanded). We have been negotiating to add some Central American countries to the trade agreement for a while.
Geography doesn’t have to be barrier. Distance is absolutely irrelevant in an information economy as Thomas Friedman points out in The World is Flat and as India has so brilliantly demonstrated. Distance has certainly not been an insurmountable obstacle to US-China trade in physical goods. The flat world might be somewhat better balanced on its teeter-totter if we bought more from Turkey and less from China. I’d certainly rather buy from Turkey than from France.
We might want to rename NAFTA as part of this process but Turkey is a long time member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and, even at the height of the Ottoman Empire, didn’t have any North Atlantic coast.
I’m serious about this proposal. Among its benefits would be ending the slander that the US War on Terror is a war on Islam. I believe we are actually more tolerant and less xenophobic than the Europeans who like to preach to us. Inviting Turkey to join NAFTA would be a good way to show that. And would be good for our own economy as well.