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Furthermore, Turkey's membership will also give a positive message to the Muslim world, will contribute to suppress feelings of alienation from the global mainstream, deeply embedded in traditional Muslim societies. Muslim world will better understand the merits of democracy. The anti-democratic forces in Muslim countries will not be able to use the argument "The Christian West does not want to live together with Muslims". A European Union that includes Turkey will be a Union that is better equipped across the board to address the new challenges to security such as terrorism, organized trans-border crime, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, xenophobia and racism. It will be a Union that could more effectively project stability and prosperity as well as democratic and free market values to its wider periphery. Turkey's geo-strategic position is to add new dimensions to the EU foreign policy. Turkey, being in a pivotal position at the heart of the Eurasian region and at the western pillar of the Greater Middle East, has privileged links with Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans, Black Sea, Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East. Therefore, not only with its first hand insight on these regions but also with its common background with them, Turkey can positively contribute to EU's foreign policy towards this extensive area. Turkey's significant contribution to peacekeeping operations in different corners of the world is welcomed by the international community. Turkey has participated in UNPROFOR and IFOR successively and is participating in SFOR and EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina; KFOR and UNMIK in Kosovo; joined the EU-led operation in Macedonia and has recently been invited to contribute to the Proxima police operation. In July 2003 Turkish Armed forces also took over the command of the South-Eastern Europe Peacekeeping Force for two years and successfully led the International Force of Stabilization in Afghanistan (ISAF) until December 2002. This record bears witness to Turkey's current and potential added value for the realization of the CFSP and ESDP objectives of the Union. Turkish efforts to provide the countries of Central Asia and South Caucasus with technical, economic and political assistance are also valued by the international community. This region has been thus far neglected by the EU. Turkey's close political, cultural and commercial ties with this region, in addition to its ever strengthening relations with Russia in several fields, confirm its prominent role in the Eurasi-an context. The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline following the emergence of the Caspian basin as one of the world's largest natural gas and oil source also highlights Turkey's place as a key transition country for the safe supply of energy towards Europe.
As to the Middle East Peace Process and the reconstruction of Iraq, Turkey believes that success in these two issues will be decisive for the overall stability and security of the Greater Middle East.
Turkey has close relations with Israel since its foundation. On the other hand, it has deeply rooted links with the Arab world. This places Turkey in a unique position where it enjoys the confidence of both sides. Therefore, Turkey continues to be an asset in the search for a mutually accepted solution between the two sides. The developments which took place in Iraq early this year, confirmed Turkey's role in the region as a key neighbor that has deployed significant efforts for the peaceful resolution of the problem. Turkey also pursued its constructive approach in the aftermath of the Coalition's military intervention and displayed a coherent approach both consistent with the realities of the region and compatible with the expectations of its European partners. Turkey maintains its positive and multi-dimensional engagement towards the reconstruction and transition of Iraq with its substantial humanitarian, financial and technical assistance to this country. The Balkans is another region which has a distinct place in Turkish foreign policy. Respectively, long-standing friendly and good neighborly relations with the countries of the region and important ties between the Turkish and Balkan peoples, places Turkey in a very special place for this geography. Turkey's interest in the stability of the Balkans is also supported by the fact that the region is considered to be the gateway to Continental Europe. Turkey did not spare any effort to provide substantial amounts of assistance to war-torn Balkan nations to help them with their reconstruction, rehabilitation and transition efforts. It has participated in EU operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. Turkey's membership to the EU will also create a new framework for the relations between Turkey and Greece. There is overwhelmingly more that binds the two countries than what is purported to separate them. The recent surge of people-to-people contacts and grass-roots dialogue as well as the developing cooperation among the respective governments is clear evidence to that effect. While major progress has been achieved on relations between Turkey and Greece, there is still room for further improvement. On the Cyprus question, both Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have been working and will continue to promote an environment conducive to a viable and sustainable resolution of the problem with the establishment of a new partnership state on the island. However, one should also note that it would be unfair to expect the resolution of the problem through the good will of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey only. In this context, it is incumbent on the EU to handle this very sensitive matter with an unbiased and tactful approach. The EU should not present itself as the defender of the interest of only one side. It should be impartial and accord equal treatment to both sides on the island. Such an attitude would help the EU to gain the confidence of the Turkish Cypriot side. The resolution of this conflict in a manner which would satisfy all parties would contribute to the stability of Eastern Mediterranean which has an undeniable importance for the European Continent. If the situation is assessed from the perspective of Turkey's neighborhood, Turkey's membership will also be a positive development for its neighbors in terms of political and economic considerations. As a member, Turkey will be better placed to project stability to neighboring regions. As a matter of fact, Tur-key's neighbors consider it as a window opening to the West and support Turkey's membership. The EU is one of the major trading partners of Turkey's neighbors. Turkey's membership to the EU will create considerable economic and trade opportunities in this regard. The above-described positive picture does indeed not indicate a "one way street" and Turkey has also a lot to win from its membership on several matters including foreign policy. In this "win-win" situation, a strategic vision about potential benefits of Turkey's accession is required. This vision will actually be mainly related to the future nature of the Union that Europeans want to build and its re-defined role on the global scene. In this respect, the added value of Turkish membership would go beyond political, geo-strategic, economic and military considerations. Turkey's position at the hub of vital political, economic and infrastructural networks for the EU and its uniqueness as a country embodying the values of western and eastern civilizations not only by passively bridging but belonging to two worlds, would be in full harmony with the mission that the EU should define for itself for the next decades, that is, becoming a global actor and a centre of attraction via openness and reconciliation.