Should Turkey be allowed enter the EU?

[soubresauts]

I believe that people everywhere need Europe to speak out about global crimes such as the Iraq War and Guantanamo Bay. The EU's lack of cohesiveness on such matters (due partly to the British Government) weakens its approach to the Near East.

On the issue of 'speaking out on crimes' how does the Turkish denial of the Armenian massacres during WW1 square with this?

There's no "squaring", obviously. The more that Europe speaks with a united voice about crimes like that, the more chance there is of Turkey (or whoever) facing up to the truth. Of course the Bush administration is not helping (presumably because Turkey is a military ally of the U.S.).

In this context, the closeness of Sarkozy and Merkel to Washington is worrying.

[Trampas]

Don't expect to read this in the Irish Times.

Quote: Jihadwatch November 29, 2007

Turkish Christian priest abducted

"Let them into the EU! From the BBC (thanks to all who sent this in):

A priest from Turkey's Syriac Christian community has been kidnapped in the country's south-east, officials say.
Edip Daniel Savci's car was reportedly found abandoned near Midyat town in Mardin province on Wednesday.
A local clergyman had received a phone call demanding a ransom for his release, the Anatolia news agency said.
Attacks on Turkey's Christian minority have increased recently. A Catholic priest was shot dead last year and three Protestants were killed in April.
Five men accused of the attack on the Protestant missionaries went on trial in the town of Malatya last week. Quote.

Anyone for 70 million Turks with freedom of movement throughout EU ?

[LTGuy]

Certainly not me!

[corkman2007]

Turkish history, society, and religion of choice is incompatible with the real European countries.

Russia on the other hand is far better suited, as is Israel. Although geographically separate it is far closer to what Europe represents than the cess pit Turkey.

And Russia is a model of democracy? Get real! Would you really like to live in Putin's Russia?

Turkey and Russia have about equal historical ties to Europe and at least the Turks are making serious efforts to improve their country's record on human rights etc., unlike the Russian government under Putin - he's fighting the Cold War all over again.

I won't even start on Israel.

[Trampas]

Euobserver reports ( 4/12) that the annual conference of Angela Merkel's CDU has blocked Turkey's ruling AKP from joining the European People's Party. Merkel also restated her opposition to full membership for Turkey.

So the German Chancellor is against, the President of France is against and more significantly the plain people of Europe (including Ireland) have declared their opposition in successive Eurobarometer polls. But still Turkey's membership talks continue and the enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn continues to talk as if Turkish membership is inevitable - although likely to be delayed. Surely the EU has responsibilities towards the Turkish people and should not be leading them on.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Is Sarkozy preparing to sellout on Turkey?

France will no longer have to hold a referendum to approve the entry of a new European Union member state, under government plans for institutional reform unveiled on Wednesday.

As part of a wide-ranging draft reform bill, the government proposes that a new state's membership of the 27-member bloc could be ratified either by popular vote or by a special congress of parliament.

France wrote the need to hold a plebiscite on any new EU entry bid into its constitution in 2005, just before rebellious French voters torpedoed the EU's proposed constitutional treaty in a referendum.

[Trampas]

Is Sarkozy preparing to sellout on Turkey?

France will no longer have to hold a referendum to approve the entry of a new European Union member state, under government plans for institutional reform unveiled on Wednesday.

As part of a wide-ranging draft reform bill, the government proposes that a new state's membership of the 27-member bloc could be ratified either by popular vote or by a special congress of parliament.

France wrote the need to hold a plebiscite on any new EU entry bid into its constitution in 2005, just before rebellious French voters torpedoed the EU's proposed constitutional treaty in a referendum.

Yes, Sarkozy is preparing to sell out on Turkish membership. It was always going to happen that way - even though successive Eurobarometer polls have confirmed a massive and growing opposition to Turkish accession - but the Turkish membership talks just carry on regardless, with another 2 negotiating chapters opened recently. Meanwhile the EU simply takes no notice of its own opinion poll.