Knowing our limits

    During his visit to Europe for the G20 summit this week, President Barack Obama made an effort to emphasize to many European leaders that the United States would support Turkey becoming a member of the European Union (EU). While European leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have not indicated that there are necessarily unfriendly relations with Turkey, Obama's support of Turkish membership was met with a cool reception, with many EU member states feeling that the United States should not be attempting to intervene in an organization of which it is not a part. Although we at the Daily understand that Obama's intention is to extend a hand of friendship to the primarily Muslim Turkey, we also understand that the EU is an entity beyond American control and that President Obama should take note of the protests throughout Europe concerning the United States' tendency to dictate the policies of other countries and should respect the decisions of the EU.
    Although Obama has openly stated that he intends to better the United States' relations with Muslim countries like Turkey, the EU is a completely inappropriate forum in which to do this. Not only is the United States not a member of the EU, but bullying our allies and friendly countries into a decision that may conflict with their best interests does not bode well for perpetuating the cooperative, respectful, world-conscious image of the United States that President Obama values so highly. With the economy currently floundering, health care reform desperately needed and the auto industry failing, the president should have enough to concern him before Turkey's potential EU membership.
    This is not to say that foreign relations are not important; after all, most of those who voted for Obama were thoroughly distressed at the former administration's foreign policy failures. This action, however, crosses the line, exhibiting an American tendency to attempt to dictate events beyond its control — exactly what the many demonstrations throughout Europe this week have been protesting. If the president wishes to improve relations with Turkey — or any Muslim country, for that matter — it should do so on its own and not vicariously through avenues like the EU.
    Pushing for Turkish membership in the EU during Obama's G20 visit not only lessens the friendly and cooperative atmosphere of the summit but also puts many nations that are still gauging how to interact with the new face of the United States on their guard, despite Obama's stringent attempts to show that the country is turning over a new leaf. The world will be more receptive to American demands and suggestions when the economy is on track again, jobs are stable and banks aren't failing — and these are the problems that the summit was organized to address, not the EU membership of Turkey. President Obama needs to remember his priorities and be conscious of the image he projects to the rest of the world lest we begin anew the cycle of unilateral decision-making and alienation from the world community.