Do you want Turkey in the EU?

[BeBMan]

Turkey better think twice before it beats our football team again if the country wants to have any chances to become a full member

[Atahualpa]

childish would be if we'd really have not moved an inch

[Ancyrean]

Originally posted by Bereta_Eder
also aegean.

turkey didnt invade airspace before 1974.
but after that and after reports painted a picture of an aegean full of oil, now turkey wants greece to give it half of it.

Greece has the unprecedented idea that a country's airspace can extend beyond it's naval territory. Irrational as it is, it's all the more unapplicable to a geography of the Aegean

again, Turkey is simply an iraq with angloamerican backing. (iraq was secular too)

I really hope you weren't serious in saying this, because no amount of web time would suffice to go through how many things are wrong with it.

[Ancyrean]

Originally posted by Sandman
I reckon Britain should give up a chunk of its base there, using the land to smooth over property disputes between the two sides.

That was indeed offered by Britain within the context of the latest UN plan.

[Ancyrean]

Originally posted by VetLegion
I know about all the reasons. I was wondering why Austria decided to put up a show because the result was known in advance. Probably internal political point scoring. And Austrians did help push Croatia in too with this package, that's good.

I think it was a combination of internal politics and also that it was a golden opportunity to press for lifting of restrictions on Croatia.

I can understand that, but I guess it wasn't exactly sophisticated when they argued "how can we leave Catholic Croatia out while we're accepting Turks

As for minister Plassnik herself, the articles in the newspapers after the summit were overwhelmingly positive with headlines like "the woman who got Croatia in" and such

Well, you can imagine she wasn't exactly viewed as a heroine in Turkey. Later, the media here found out that on the day of the summit she was wearing a bracelet that she received from the mayor of Sanliurfa in Turkey! Maybe that was her secret sign that they'll give up their dissent eventually.

[Ancyrean]

Originally posted by C0ckney
turkey and the turks have to realise that debating the finer points of who did what in cyprus is not something europe is espeically interested in. what europe is interested in is turkey recognising all of its members!

You're right in that nobody in Europe is genuinely interested in Cyprus and therefore see it as a nuisance when they are reminded they took in a country with such complications.

If Europe doesn't see the Cyprus problem as one that has to be regarded with a sense of justice and instead reduce it to one of membership procedure, Turkey will never accept any imposition on these lines.

In the final analysis, when the crisis of recognition will inevitably come to a head, Europe will have to make up its mind whether it really wants Turkey in or not. If the answer is "yes", they will have to put some pressure on the Greek Cypriots to come to a more conciliatory line.

But hey, the answer was never exactly yes, was it?

Deus lo vult!

[Ancyrean]

Originally posted by BeBro
Turkey better think twice before it beats our football team again if the country wants to have any chances to become a full member

Oh no, now we have to choose between FIFA and the EU!

[VetLegion]

This is frontpage of the third national weekly magazine (by circulation):



The smaller headlines say "The woman who opened the gates of EU to Croatia" and "Austria didn't give up stances about Croatia and Turkey even after pressure from Britain".

"how can we leave Catholic Croatia out while we're accepting Turks

That's a dumb argument. But anyway it was obvious to just about everyone that they were trying to protect their investment (Austrian banks are prominent here, as well as other businesses). Not to say it was only that, Austria has been politically rather close with Croatia since our independance.

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by Ancyrean
In the final analysis, when the crisis of recognition will inevitably come to a head, Europe will have to make up its mind whether it really wants Turkey in or not. If the answer is "yes", they will have to put some pressure on the Greek Cypriots to come to a more conciliatory line.

i think you've got it somewhat backwards. assuming the situation stays as it is, turkey will have to make up its mind whether EU membership is important enough to change its position on cyprus.

[Pekka]

That's right. Greece is a member already. Turkey will have to adapt to EU, not vice versa.

[Spiffor]

Ancyrean: I think you overestimate the European willingness to add Turkey in. In the current political and economic climate, Turkey is a hot potato that only a few leaders really want in, in that they'd be willing to make sacrifices for it.

Unless things change drastically in the coming 15-20 years, if Turkey is to join the EU, Turkey will have to make nearly all the sacrifices, and the EU nearly none. It's been like that for years, and it's set to continue.

[DinoDoc]

Why string them along if you don't want them in?

[Pekka]

to piss them off and watch how they can't do anything about it.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Why string them along if you don't want them in?

Because the EU isn't led with a single, coherent voice. The UK generally wants Turkey in, because Turkey's early membership would spell the death of an EU that is anything more than a free trade area. Some leaders like Chirac want Turkey in because it fits their vision of a large Europe. Some parties don't want Turkey in because they see Europe as a Christian club. Some populations don't want them Turks in (and the Austrians are only the most extreme about it, they are definitely notthe only ones).

If the leadership of the EU was a simple thing, we'd have a clear decision already. It isn't and this is why Turkey's membership is such a complex issue.