What I think Turkey needs is to focus on the task rather than to talk.

About a month ago in Yalta, Turkey’s minister of European Union affairs, talking on Turkey’s EU adventure, said, “unless Europe gives up its prejudice, in the long run, I think Turkey will end up like Norway.” Like Norway, very closely aligned with the EU in economic terms, but not a member in it. My friend who cited this story added, “We should first become like Norway and then we’ll see.” For a month since then, I have been thinking about this Norway analogy. Because the EU Progress Report has been recently released, let me ask, “Has Turkey struck oil or something?” If so, it’s all okay. If not, why don’t we think twice before we speak? Let me tell you my version of the story and then decide.

In terms of per capita income, Norway is among the top three in the world. With its $100,000 income per capita as of 2012, Norway is ten times richer than Turkey. Its population is 5 million, compared to Turkey’s 75 million. It has a higher average education level than Turkey and it is in the top league in human development, unlike Turkey. For instance, the under-five child mortality rate is 3 per 1000 live births in Norway, compared to 14 in Turkey. Norway has a large sovereign wealth fund, which is currently the largest in the world with a net worth of around $800 billion. The fund’s value is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2020.  The Government Pension Fund Norway, or to say Norwegians, holds about 2 percent of European equities. Wherever a global equity goes public, there is the Government Pension Fund Norway. Why? Because the country is among the top five of the world’s oil exporters. It proclaimed sovereignty over the oil deposits of the North Sea and production started in 1969.

Having fulfilled all the obligations Norway was entitled to EU membership in 1973. Although the majority in the parliament back than was in favor of the membership, the government took the EU deal to public poll. Fifty-three percent voted against EU membership. A second poll was held in 1994, which reinstated the majority against membership. Let’s skip this second poll and focus on the one in 1973. Back then, Turkey’s per capita income was around $900 while Norway’s was less than $7,000. Norway was 7 times as good as Turkey. Today the gap is wider, as Norway’s income per capita is 10 times that of Turkey’s.

Maybe it can work this way: Turkey’s per capita income today is higher than Norway’s $7000 in 1973. So, Turkey can easily do what Norway did in 1973. Yet, we have to realize that they had started extracting oil before they said no to the EU. Moreover, they had fulfilled the accession process and been entitled to membership. As far as I know, Turkey does not have any oil reserves. It is not entitled to EU membership, either, according to the EU Progress Report released during the bayram. So, what is it with all the talking? I really don’t know. Let me conclude with three observations about Turkey. First, what I think Turkey needs is to focus on the task rather than to talk. I feel that we are talking so much that we are too exhausted to actually act. The EU Progress Report was released in the midst of the bayram holiday. I like to skim through reports each year. Turkey does good and wrong, and the report articulates all of these calmly. The most striking mistake for me was the split of the Ministry of Environment for reorganization. Second, we seem to be too much self-concerned and build castles in the air. That’s how we come up with the Norway analogy. We liken Turkey to Norway without knowing anything about Norway. I see EU progress reports as reality checks. Here is what I got from this year’s report: Turkey has been carrying out efforts for EU accession with a series of legislations. It takes steps in the right direction; but it is all talk, no action. All audio, no video. Turkey is not good at translating the legislation into implementation. It lacks the capacity. And it is not successful in building such capacity. This would be my third observation about Turkey.

Nowadays, Turkey needs to follow Deng Xiaoping’s advice closely: “Hide your brightness, bide your time.” But Turkey seems to be as impatient as a child. And the national football team was beaten by the Netherlands. We have a long way to go.

This commentary was published in Radikal daily on 18.10.2013