Turkey 'won't beg for EU membership', as tables turn

[webfact]

Turkey 'won't beg for EU membership', as tables turn
By Adrian Lancashire



BRUSSELS: -- The publication of the European Commission’s annual report on Turkey coincided with the day on which the founder of the modern republic, Kemal Ataturk, was honoured.

In the 1920s, Ataturk launched a wave of reform in many areas, seeking to create a nation in the image of European democracies.

Last year, President Erdogan put Turkish pride into clear terms:

“Turkey is now a powerful country. Turkey is no longer a country that would beg at your door. Turkey can stand alone, and with its determination Turkey would join the EU if it were accepted. If it were not, it would make its own road.”

One year later, after this harsh report from Brussels, Erdogan may be giving Turkey’s ‘own road’ serious thought. Elections have handed his AK Party, the rulers since 2002, four more years in power.

Turkey signed up as an associate member of the European Economic Community, precursor of the EU, in 1963. Full accession negotiations with Turkey began in 2005. Cyprus problems and the slow pace of Turkish reforms bogged the process down. But Austria and Germany made clear they only favoured a privileged partnership, anyway, and France’s then president Sarkozy added his voice to theirs, while saying he would not block negotiations.

German Chancellor Merkel would lead several other EU states to delay opening a new round of talks when Ankara cracked down violently on anti-government protests two years ago.

Then Syrian war refugees brought a reshuffling of the cards. Now Europe needs Turkey to help manage the huge numbers.

Merkel softened her opposition, calling full membership “an open-ended issue” when she visited Erdogan last month and gave new EU-Turkey talks her support, though Ankara is much cooler to the prospect now.

Ankara calls the criticism in the report “unjust and disproportionate”, and where Erdogan is concerned “unacceptable”.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-11

[NongKhaiKid]

Turkey won't have to beg as they have countries like Germany over a barrel because of the migrant crisis.

Merkel will back them to the hilt if they only help to bail her out of the God awful mess she's created.

[Publicus]

Turkey borders Syria and Iraq which border Lebanon and Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas and ISIS and......

The EU as we know has open borders within it. After Trump loses his political race send him over there where he can put one of his beloved walls around Turkey and their extremist Islamic government and voters. My pc has a firewall defender against viruses and other things that begin with the prefix of 'mal' that get isolated.

Migrant flows north into Europe are presently unmanageable but put Turkey in the EU and Hezbollah and ISIS and all the rest of 'em will be running ferries 24/7 across the Bosporus and the waters there making more money hand over fist. Turkey under this Islamic government has been a nominal member of Nato for a decade now, if that much.

Erdogan should at least kiss Merkel while he's screwing her.

[soalbundy]

keep them out, we have enough illegal Muslims we don't need legal ones coming in as well

[chilli42]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

[sotsira]

Cyprus being an EU member since 2005 has had 40% of it's land invaded and occupied

by Turkey since 1974.

How can Turkey be even considered for EU membership whilst they are currently illegally

occupying the North region of Cyprus?

Greece & Cyprus who have close allies would certainly vote NO to keep them out.

[soalbundy]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

your opinion, it's not a failed experiment,it's a grand experiment. I liked to live in a boarder free Europe with a common currency. It wont fail it's got too much going for it, yes it has problems but it was never going to easy especially with ''little England'' sniping from the edges.

[Steely Dan]

Since coming to power Erdogan has pressed over a regression in Turkey's case for being a secular democracy. Turkey joining the EU would be a suicidal decision, but then again Frau Merkel has form when it comes to suicidal decisions, so don't write Turkey off just yet.

[BuaBS]

Maybe The EU & nato can help them massmurder the Kurds ( with our tax euro's). Because of turkey , the PKK is considdered a terrorist organisation in brussels , which it isn't.

Edited November 11, 2015 by BuaBS

[Chicog]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

your opinion, it's not a failed experiment,it's a grand experiment. I liked to live in a boarder free Europe with a common currency. It wont fail it's got too much going for it, yes it has problems but it was never going to easy especially with ''little England'' sniping from the edges.

I wish they were just "sniping from the edges". Then perhaps they wouldn't have been inundated with all the freeloaders and thieves they've had to import from Eastern Europe.

[Baerboxer]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

your opinion, it's not a failed experiment,it's a grand experiment. I liked to live in a boarder free Europe with a common currency. It wont fail it's got too much going for it, yes it has problems but it was never going to easy especially with ''little England'' sniping from the edges.

Do you want to live in a centrally governed federal Europe, with layers of unelected bureaucrats manipulating rules to favor their own countries? With Germany trying to dominate and rule and tell everyone how it's going to be? Where sovereign states can no longer make their own laws, but must bow to the will of the federalists, currently dominated by self righteous PC liberal socialists who are all very rich themselves but want to spend your money how they see fit? Have your freedoms eroded and decided by someone unaccountable by election to you?

Or do you want to live in the free market economic community that was the intended purpose?

It has problems - like Germany trying to run it has a sub branch of the German government perhaps?

[soalbundy]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

your opinion, it's not a failed experiment,it's a grand experiment. I liked to live in a boarder free Europe with a common currency. It wont fail it's got too much going for it, yes it has problems but it was never going to easy especially with ''little England'' sniping from the edges.

Do you want to live in a centrally governed federal Europe, with layers of unelected bureaucrats manipulating rules to favor their own countries? With Germany trying to dominate and rule and tell everyone how it's going to be? Where sovereign states can no longer make their own laws, but must bow to the will of the federalists, currently dominated by self righteous PC liberal socialists who are all very rich themselves but want to spend your money how they see fit? Have your freedoms eroded and decided by someone unaccountable by election to you?

Or do you want to live in the free market economic community that was the intended purpose?

It has problems - like Germany trying to run it has a sub branch of the German government perhaps?

I've lived in Germany for 35 years or so, it's well run, efficient and democratic. The UK could be worse off than being run from Berlin. The UK has its own blood sucking politicians and councilors and they run the country for their own benefit, ''call me Dave'' doesn't come from the working class. A sovereign country, don't make me laugh, the UK bows and scrapes to the US and China and you get to cast your little vote once every 4 years, you are looked at by CCTV at every street corner ( something Germans would never stand for ) and now the UK wants to look at your internet history. I am all for a United States of Europe.

[Thongkorn]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

your opinion, it's not a failed experiment,it's a grand experiment. I liked to live in a boarder free Europe with a common currency. It wont fail it's got too much going for it, yes it has problems but it was never going to easy especially with ''little England'' sniping from the edges.

Do you want to live in a centrally governed federal Europe, with layers of unelected bureaucrats manipulating rules to favor their own countries? With Germany trying to dominate and rule and tell everyone how it's going to be? Where sovereign states can no longer make their own laws, but must bow to the will of the federalists, currently dominated by self righteous PC liberal socialists who are all very rich themselves but want to spend your money how they see fit? Have your freedoms eroded and decided by someone unaccountable by election to you?

Or do you want to live in the free market economic community that was the intended purpose?

It has problems - like Germany trying to run it has a sub branch of the German government perhaps?

I've lived in Germany for 35 years or so, it's well run, efficient and democratic. The UK could be worse off than being run from Berlin. The UK has its own blood sucking politicians and councilors and they run the country for their own benefit, ''call me Dave'' doesn't come from the working class. A sovereign country, don't make me laugh, the UK bows and scrapes to the US and China and you get to cast your little vote once every 4 years, you are looked at by CCTV at every street corner ( something Germans would never stand for ) and now the UK wants to look at your internet history. I am all for a United States of Europe.

pleased for you , You have an opinion , One which Britain fought your forefathers for,

[bangon04]

"Then Syrian war refugees brought a reshuffling of the cards. Now Europe needs Turkey to help manage the huge numbers."

mmm nice big Muslim country with plenty of space.... why not put all the "refugees" there.

[Usernames]

Why would anyone join the EU? It's a failed experiment. All it ever should have been was a trade block.

your opinion, it's not a failed experiment,it's a grand experiment. I liked to live in a boarder free Europe with a common currency. It wont fail it's got too much going for it, yes it has problems but it was never going to easy especially with ''little England'' sniping from the edges.

Do you want to live in a centrally governed federal Europe, with layers of unelected bureaucrats manipulating rules to favor their own countries? With Germany trying to dominate and rule and tell everyone how it's going to be? Where sovereign states can no longer make their own laws, but must bow to the will of the federalists, currently dominated by self righteous PC liberal socialists who are all very rich themselves but want to spend your money how they see fit? Have your freedoms eroded and decided by someone unaccountable by election to you?

Or do you want to live in the free market economic community that was the intended purpose?

It has problems - like Germany trying to run it has a sub branch of the German government perhaps?

I've lived in Germany for 35 years or so, it's well run, efficient and democratic. The UK could be worse off than being run from Berlin. The UK has its own blood sucking politicians and councilors and they run the country for their own benefit, ''call me Dave'' doesn't come from the working class. A sovereign country, don't make me laugh, the UK bows and scrapes to the US and China and you get to cast your little vote once every 4 years, you are looked at by CCTV at every street corner ( something Germans would never stand for ) and now the UK wants to look at your internet history. I am all for a United States of Europe.

And if the UK were to be run from Berlin, the British would have 1.5 million "refugees" heading their way this year alone.

[Publicus]

In Turkey the ummah turns out to be another nice word, much like peace and also justice.

The ummah stops however where the lira begins and where they expect the euro to pick up the slack and the tab.

[Publicus]

Do you want to live in a centrally governed federal Europe, with layers of unelected bureaucrats manipulating rules to favor their own countries? With Germany trying to dominate and rule and tell everyone how it's going to be? Where sovereign states can no longer make their own laws, but must bow to the will of the federalists, currently dominated by self righteous PC liberal socialists who are all very rich themselves but want to spend your money how they see fit? Have your freedoms eroded and decided by someone unaccountable by election to you?

Or do you want to live in the free market economic community that was the intended purpose?

It has problems - like Germany trying to run it has a sub branch of the German government perhaps?

I've lived in Germany for 35 years or so, it's well run, efficient and democratic. The UK could be worse off than being run from Berlin. The UK has its own blood sucking politicians and councilors and they run the country for their own benefit, ''call me Dave'' doesn't come from the working class. A sovereign country, don't make me laugh, the UK bows and scrapes to the US and China and you get to cast your little vote once every 4 years, you are looked at by CCTV at every street corner ( something Germans would never stand for ) and now the UK wants to look at your internet history. I am all for a United States of Europe.

And if the UK were to be run from Berlin, the British would have 1.5 million "refugees" heading their way this year alone.

Which is probably why Osborne and Dave prefer to be run from Beijing and to have such a close neighbor as Beijing's pal Erdogan.

Dave has given a new meaning to Number 10. Just add a string of zeros and he signs on the dotted line.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presents a wreath to the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Beijing, capital of China, July 29, 2015 [Xinhua]

It's historical fact btw that until the atheist CCP came along the Chinese and Muslims got along famously for a thousand years cause they readily admitted they have so much in common. Until the CCP the Chinese accepted missionaries and all the rest of it, although sometimes things got hairy.

The movie Sandpebbles with Steve McQueen was an excellent production by Hollywood of something very real in recent history over there.

Coffee or tea anyone.....

[cookee68]

Why dont she invite Syria as well, What a fool of a women, all these top nobs just dont understand what the normal person sees every day, from her house in the middle of no where