Italy calls for quick Turkish accession to EU

[brio910]

I believe that the accession of Turkey to the EU will cause too many problems to member states and have very few benefits.

As you can see below, many EU leaders, for instance Berlusconi below want quick Turkish accession.
Do you think Turkish accession to the EU will help or hinder Irish interests?

"Berlusconi calls for quick accession of Turkey
The Italian Prime Minister has said that he is in favour of Turkey quickly becoming a member of the European Union. Turkey, Berlusconi said, was a member of NATO and played a “very important role” in the Middle East. For this reason, the accession of Turkey was in the EU’s own interests, he claimed. He was speaking after a meeting in Izmir with the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and he said that the process by which states become EU members needed to be speeded up. He added that the two next holders of the EU presidency, the Czech Republic and Sweden, were supporters of Turkish accession and that they too would want to make quick progress. So far, Turkey has closed 8 out of the 35 so-called “chapters” of the EU accession process: the pace is very slow, since the talks have been going on since 2005. The talks are currently stalled over Cyprus. Ankara however remains determined to become a member of the EU by 2013." [Der Standard, 13 November 2008]

[kerrynorth]

The one thing the Sarkozy has done right is to write into the French constitution that for a country the scale of Turkey to join the EU will now require a referendum in France. And there is no chance of that getting passed.

[Duth Ealla]

Another factor here is the man doing the talking - Berlsuconi. He is a Media junky and not relaible. Tomorrow who knows what his angle will be.

[Trampas]

The one thing the Sarkozy has done right is to write into the French constitution that for a country the scale of Turkey to join the EU will now require a referendum in France. And there is no chance of that getting passed.

On the contrary there is little chance that such a referendum will be held. The French President will simply change the constitution. Only the people of Europe en masse can now put a stop to this lunacy by speaking out at every opportunity. I am not hopeful.

[The Lighthouse Keeper]

They'd all be over to meet the 20 "Irish girlfriends" they each met in Kusadasi this summer! :mrgreen:

[Aindriu]

Italy can sod off! There is no way that Turkey should be allowed to enter the EU at present. Firstly they have an atrocious record of human rights abuses and secondly the EU is in recession!

[euroboy]

I wouldnt place too much faith in the French Constitution, it has been changed upteen times by the President/Parliament at the eleventh hour to suit their own needs.

Unlike our constitution where the Irish people are needed to change it.


But Im sure if the situation arose where the french voted no to Turkey but the rest of Europe was in favour, Sarko would follow his own logic that 'one memberstate cannot spoil it for the other 26'??, and allow Turkey to join;-)

[FutureTaoiseach]

The one thing the Sarkozy has done right is to write into the French constitution that for a country the scale of Turkey to join the EU will now require a referendum in France. And there is no chance of that getting passed.

It was originally brought in by Chirac but then Sarkozy changed it to say that Turkish membership either had to involve a referendum or a weighted parliamentary-majority. I believe Sarkozy is going to sellout on this issue, not least because his advisor on Lisbon is openly in favour of Turkish membership.

On the substantive issue, I am utterly and implacably opposed to Turkish EU membership, and welcome the fact that the new Austrian Chancellor's Social Democrat party was opposed to Turkish EU membership without a referendum - as is the current German Chancellor. However with respect to Germany, it should be remembered that Merkel would not be Chancellor today had the SPD and Greens entered a Coalition with the former Communist Left Party (the successor of the PDS and some on the hard Left of the SPD). Imho, the latter party's stance will determine Germany's position in the longterm, though under Schroeder it opposed Turkish membership.

To those still unsure of Turkish membership, I say that last night's Prime Time should open your eyes.

[zeleneye]

As you can see below, many EU leaders, for instance Berlusconi below want quick Turkish accession.

Regardless of what you think of Turkey (and I think we should definitely offer them membership in the medium-term), you should not take Berlusconi as a representative of EU leaders. The man is the source of ridicule at every EU summit. He is a class A idiot, who nobody takes seriously.

Given the hostility from many EU governments, not to mention the Franco-German monolith, to Turkey's membership, I think any of those against can rest safely in the knowledge that it ain't going to happen any time soon. Certainly not with centre-right governments in the ascendant on the continent.

[Christine Murray]

The most famous victim of Turkish Repression would possibly be Orhan
Pamuk : Orhan Pamuk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia , but the issue of
ongoing arrests of writers under a shabbily amended Article 301
is ongoing.

Arrests under article 301, include jourrnalists, students, civil society
activists and women writers.

Information on Civil Society Protest against 301:


Turkish Weekly Opinion - Amendment in Article 301 and Its Effects to EU-Turkey Relations

(if you scroll down the righthand column , you can see the Italian/Turkish
Partnership Process in action on these Pages)

The UDHR: Campaigns - English Pen

Turkey: Article 301 is a threat to freedom of expression and must be repealed now!


I heartily recommend Snow by Pamuk, btw. I also put a small
piece on the blog regarding how UDHR relates to the work of people
who have acted online and in collecting /translating on the
preservation of ethnic tradition/custom and language in an enlargement
process that consistently denies Rights to language and custom
by larger states interested in vague relationships of geo-political
conveniences. The link to ethnopoetics is on the Dot Spot bloggie.

Ragip Zarakolu: PEN American Center - Ragip Zarakolu

http://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/Rajip_Zarakolu