Arrogant or Ignorant Of History

President Obama managed to upset a few of his newfound European friends this weekend.

During his stay in Europe, everybody seemed eager to be President Barack Obama's friend. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi threw his arm around the US leader. French President Nicolas Sarkozy seemed to be on Obama's heels wherever he went during the G-20 meeting in London, the NATO summit in Strasbourg and the EU get-together in Prague. Even Russian President Dmitry Medvedev seemed to be enjoying his proximity to the American superstar.
Now that Obama is in Turkey, however, some political camps -- particularly in Germany -- have discovered the political efficacy of Obama bashing. While in Ankara, Obama reiterated his support for Turkish membership in the European Union, a position he first voiced on Sunday in Prague. That doesn't sit well with some....
...On Monday, a number of politicians, particularly in Germany, went on the offensive. "It is a meddling in the internal affairs of Europe," Bernd Posselt, a member of the European Parliament from Bavarian's conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), blustered in an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE. "The EU is not Obama's plaything. ... He should accept Turkey as America's 51st state instead," he continued.

I should interject something here. The Austrians and the Germans especially have lingering hard feelings toward Turkey that stem back to Ottoman Wars. While politically Germany and Turkey have decent relations, due to the large influx of Turkish immigrants to the former West Germany (back in the mid to late 20th century) those relationships are sometimes a little strained. There is (amongst the German people) a fairly palpable disdain for the Turkish immigrants as the Logical Husband and I discovered when we lived in Germany.

The negative reaction the President Obama's remarks were not limited to Bavaria.

But the vexation at Obama's support for Turkish membership is real, particularly following Turkey's truculence at the NATO summit in Strasbourg. There, Ankara almost torpedoed attempts to name Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next secretary general of the alliance because of the Muhammad caricatures published in a Danish newspaper in 2005. Turkey could only be budged from its position following concessions offered by Obama and European leaders during last-minute telephone diplomacy.

Indeed, Sarkozy was quick to reject Obama's support for Turkish EU membership. Speaking after the US president said in Prague on Sunday that membership for Turkey would "ensure we continue to anchor Turkey firmly in Europe," Sarkozy said: "I have been working hand in hand with President Obama, but when it comes to the European Union it is up to member states … to decide."

My friend Ed Morrissey chalked this up to arrogance on President Obama's part but considering that this is a continuation of President Bush's policy on Turkey joining the EU.. Rather, his words resound with a certain ignorance of history that can be dangerous in his position. President Obama can (and should) continue pushing the US's position on Turkey joining the EU. However, it needs to be done in a way that is a little more culturally sensitive to some of the historical nuances regarding Turkey's long term relationships with the rest of Europe.