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Sergio Stefanuto · Joined: 14 May 2009 Location: UK

Turkey's Kurds could well hinder EU membership.

Leslie Cheswyck · Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: University of Western Chile

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

mithridates · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:45 pm Post subject:

PIGFACESOUPWITHRICE · Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Location: Electron Cloud

I think this could be a real Turkish Delight for them if they are admitted.

ytuque · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Location: I drink therefore I am!

mithridates · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:23 pm Post subject:

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

Italian president hints at Turkey's future EU roleFont Size: Larger|Smaller

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
ANKARA - H�rriyet Daily News
'It is not difficult to seize the importance of the accession of Turkey to the EU,' says Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, less than two weeks before the newly ratified Lisbon Treaty takes effect. The president is stressing the importance of Turkey to the EU during his visit

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. AFP photo

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called Turkey�s accession to the European Union a �strategic opportunity to strengthen the union�s role at the world level� in an address at Ankara University on the second day of his official visit.

Napolitano�s visit comes less than two weeks before the recently ratified Lisbon Treaty takes effect.

The EU has accepted Turkey as a candidate state to join the union, Napolitano noted. �I can openly and responsibly say that receding now from that formal decision would undermine the credibility of the union, and not only before the eyes of Turkey and its people,� he pointed out on Wednesday.

Napolitano said the �open-ended process� was not an excuse to suggest a privileged partnership to Turkey instead of full EU membership. �It is not even possible to exclude in advance that the outcome will be the accession of Turkey as a full member, and propose to Turkey a different and less-committing status when negotiations are still open and far from being closed,� he said.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=italy-hits-strategic-role-of-turkey-as-lisbon-treaty-to-come-into-effect-2009-11-18

ytuque · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Location: I drink therefore I am!

Yes a country with an elected president whose wife wears and islamic headscarf and who is incidentally his 1st cousin, sounds like an excellent candidate to join the EU.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

NovaKart · Joined: 18 Nov 2009 Location: Iraq

I've been in Turkey for the past year. While I was in downtown Bursa on one occassion, a man handed me a flier for the Saadet Partisi, Turkey's extreme Islamic party. Another man handed me a flier for the MHP, Turkey's right wing nationalist party. This was around the time of the latest elections. The Grey Wolves, a neo-fascist group, was founded by the MHP.

The Saadet Partisi isn't really very popular in Turkey but the Ak Partisi, a more moderate Islamic party is in power. Their main opposition is the CHP, Ataturk's party, which is secular. The military is also secular.

This year the Ergenekon investigation has been going on. Not knowing the whole complex story behind it I can't say much about it. But some people are accusing the government of having their opponents arrested in connection with it by saying they were involved in a coup and of being part of some assassinations back in the 90s.

Of course all of this looks terrible for Turkey, so I would say the political situation alone is enough to keep Turkey out of the EU for awhile.

People here are really frustrated at the lack of progress in joining the EU and I've heard some people here say that Turkey is not really Western and that Turkey shouldn't join, though I would say the majority I've talked to still want to be part of the EU.

Turkey is working on a couple of issues in particular: Improving relations with Armenia (which is causing huge protests from Azerbaijan) and dealing with the Kurdish issue. It's hard not to sympathize with the Kurds knowing their history in Turkey, but in general, the Kurdish population is much more backwards than the Turks. A huge number of Kurdish women are illiterate.

I haven't heard of any plans to allow conscientious objection and I'm not sure how important that is to the EU, though I would think that should be a human rights issue as well.

My impression of Turkey is that while it often appears Western on the surface it's still very traditional and Eastern in many ways. Granted, I've spent most of my time in central and eastern Turkey. However, it's still not nearly as conservative as many other Islamic countries. During Ramazan I could openly buy alcohol for example. I also knew quite a few people who were openly not fasting. And I've had covered women sit right next to me on the bus.

Sergio Stefanuto · Joined: 14 May 2009 Location: UK

ytuque · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Location: I drink therefore I am!

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

Turkey will not be admitted to the European Union until it stops Kurdish-Turkish fighting, expands minority rights, encourages economic development in the east, and works on women's rights more. It has abolished the death penalty, has worked somewhat on minority rights, it has reduced the conflict, and it is more democratic. It will take Turkey at least 10 years to join the EU. By that time, a new generation of young Turks will have emerged used to a more democratic system, rights for minorities etc.... If they satisfactorily reform and narrow the gap then the Turks growing up at the same time as young Western Europeans will be welcomed. Otherwise, they won't be. Europe may want Turkey, but not without conditions. Turkey has Western influence, no doubt, but it needs more of that.