EU Commission recommends opening talks with Turkey

Moriarty

EC wants talks on Turkey's EU admission (RTE)

06 October 2004 17:18

European Union officials have recommended the EU begin entry talks with Turkey, subject to strict conditions.

The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, said Turkey would have to improve its human rights record if the talks were to succeed.

Mr Prodi warned Turkish membership of the EU was not a foregone conclusion, a view echoed by the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler.

The Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said today his government had already pushed through major reforms since it came to power two years ago.

EU member states, which have been divided over Turkish entry, will take a final decision in December on whether to start negotiations.

It is expected that even if such talks start soon, Turkey would not be able to join until well into the next decade.

EU paves way for Turkey to join (BBC)

The European Commission has recommended opening talks on the admission of Turkey to the EU - but Ankara must meet stiff conditions, EU officials say.

Commission officials are reporting on the progress Turkey has already made, along with Bulgaria and Romania.

The final decision on Turkey rests with the leaders of all 25 EU member states in December - with accession years off.

The Commission's recommendation is a milestone in an increasingly impassioned debate.

The decision was reached by a "large consensus" among commissioners, one EU official said, but no vote was taken.

There was also no recommended date to start negotiations with Turkey.

"It is a qualified yes," EU Commission President Romano Prodi told European parliament leaders.

"It's flanked with a whole series of recommendations for monitoring and verifying what the situation is actually like."

Mr Prodi said Turkey would have to improve its human rights record if the talks were to succeed and warned that Turkish membership was not a foregone conclusion.

It is expected that even if full membership negotiations start soon, Turkey will not be able to join until well into the next decade.

The European Commission also confirmed that Bulgaria and Romania were on track to join the EU in 2007 and Croatia to start negotiations next year.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced the hope that accession negotiations would start in the first half of 2005.

And Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul hailed the EU recommendation as an "historic step".

Forty years ago, the club of Europe held out the prospect of eventual Turkish membership.

The Turkish government has already pushed through a huge number of economic and political reforms, particularly over the last three years.

But the Commission is likely to point out that respect for human rights may have improved - but torture, religious discrimination and violence against women are still all too rife.

There also need to be big economic adjustments - from the EU as well as Turkey - given how poor Turkey is and how big its agricultural sector.

To the Turkish government's dismay, the new commissioner in charge of EU enlargement, Olli Rehn, has talked about giving the EU permanent powers to close its borders if large numbers of Turks want to migrate.

In a speech in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had "done its task".

"Now the EU must do its task. They're the ones being tested now. If we don't want a clash of civilisations, but to succeed at reconciliation, Turkey must take its place in the EU."

Even if the EU's officials and politicians say yes, the people may say no.

The French government has announced it wants to hold a referendum, eventually, on whether Turkey should join.

At the moment, popular support in France - as with some other countries - appears weak.

Opposition centres on Turkey's size, its relative poverty and the fact that it is Muslim.

'Welcome to the house of fun.. doodoodOOdoodoo..'

A good analysis piece here on the subject.


Personally, I'm not sure where I stand on this yet. It makes us think about what exactly we want the EU to be - a trading area, the quasi-state that it's heading towards (or at, some may argue) at the moment or a complete conclusion of that direction of thinking by creating a federal european state. I'd be coming at that from a distinctly pro-europe standpoint, but I still can't decide which way it should go.

mike65

Agh! Another Turkey thread!

Well its hardly a ringing endorsement is it? Still as LBJ might have put it "better them on the inside of the tent pissing out than on the outside pissing in"

Mike.

OfflerCrocGod

I don't want them in I think they could hinder further European integration - it's bad enough having the UK doing their best to slow it down we don't need another odd-ball joining in. They just don't have the same value as we do in the west - I used to think that it would be great letting them in but the more I think about it the less enthusiastic I am about it. It will take decades before they changes they made to their laws start to filter through and the next generation with a more western outlook on things takes over. Let's face it Europe isn't christian it's atheist and I don't think letting in a strongly religious country is a good idea. I want a European state a la USA Turkey may end up being a big break on such a project I wouldn't be adverse to letting in the more western, educated Turks into Europe as immigrants and future citizens.

vorbis

that view is a bit religious intolerant. my issues with Turkey would be to do with human rights issues. Personal beliefs are just that.

OfflerCrocGod wrote:

I don't want them in I think they could hinder further European integration - it's bad enough having the UK doing their best to slow it down we don't need another odd-ball joining in. They just don't have the same value as we do in the west - I used to think that it would be great letting them in but the more I think about it the less enthusiastic I am about it. It will take decades before they changes they made to their laws start to filter through and the next generation with a more western outlook on things takes over. Let's face it Europe isn't christian it's atheist and I don't think letting in a strongly religious country is a good idea. I want a European state a la USA Turkey may end up being a big break on such a project I wouldn't be adverse to letting in the more western, educated Turks into Europe as immigrants and future citizens.

mike65

OfflerCrocGod wrote:

I don't want them in I think they could hinder further European integration - it's bad enough having the UK doing their best to slow it down we don't need another odd-ball joining in. They just don't have the same value as we do in the west - I used to think that it would be great letting them in but the more I think about it the less enthusiastic I am about it. It will take decades before they changes they made to their laws start to filter through and the next generation with a more western outlook on things takes over. Let's face it Europe isn't christian it's atheist and I don't think letting in a strongly religious country is a good idea. I want a European state a la USA Turkey may end up being a big break on such a project I wouldn't be adverse to letting in the more western, educated Turks into Europe as immigrants and future citizens.

There is so much wrong with this post! Racist and derogitary. Whats with this
Islamiphobia crap? Ppl might have said the same about Ireland being too damned Catholic in 1973, would you have reckoned that a reason to keep this country out of the EEC?

As for odd-ball well thats you, I'd say.

Mike.

RE*AC*TOR

I think the global situation can only be helped by a bit of islamic inclusion... as equals. I can very much empathize with a lot of islamics who feel they're being shat upon.

There are pros and cons for both sides of the argument.
Turkey having such a large army would of course benefit the EU considering the driving force behind further EU integration has been the Franco/German wish to craft the EU into a superpower bulwark against the US.
Personally I believe the human rights atrocities far out weigh any benefit Turkish membership could offer.
I also think the EU is rushing its expansion way too fast. It really should stand back and wait to see the real effects of the recent enlargement. The danger is that by having such diverse and fractious countries within a common framework this could lead to the split up of the EU or the creation of a two tier EU. But thats for another tread!