Turkey's relations with Europe

RobertKK · 15-03-2017 2:13am #1

If Turkey really wanted to join the EU, it is quite clear it will not happen. President Erdogan is hardline and has made some scandalous comments towards the Dutch.
Saying the Dutch are Fascists over not allowing Turkish ministers campaign in the Netherlands - right before the Dutch general election, which is controversial in itself.
Now Erdogan has accused the Dutch of allowing the massacre in Srebenica in 1995.

I think every EU member and most other non EU European countries would stand with the Dutch in this dispute.
The Dutch had every right to stop Turkish ministers campaigning in their country for a vote back in Turkey.

I can't see Turkey ever being allowed to join the EU. I can't see the Dutch allowing it, and I don't think most other leaders in the west are interested in having Turkey in the club.
The differences are too big.

Snake Plisken · 15-03-2017 2:57am

I agree the thing is he will probably open the land border and let the migrants flood into Europe. I would also think the way he is acting might threaten Turkey's NATO membership.

Nody · 15-03-2017 3:46am

Turkey had significant problems before Erdogan with joining with a certain Island that they occupy as Greece would block them until they left anyway; Erdogan simply moved it from a possibility to a "not as long as he's around". As far as Erdogan letting in more immigrants remember he's being paid billions to keep them and the Turkish economy is not exactly doing stellar atm even with the currency in more or less free fall; remove a couple of billion of EUR in cash infusions and he'd have issues down the line (first six months he can keep playing the "We're Turks; we're superior" card of nationality but sooner or later the economy of day to day comes back into play).

15-03-2017 4:00am

Turkey has a lot of potential, it has quite a large young and well-educated population, but it needs to continue economic prosperity and move further towards secularism/move further away from religious indoctrination for it to be a serious candidate for EU membership. A fully modern and secular Turkey could well be an asset to the EU, but sadly the country is not quite there yet.

Erdogan is absolutely the right man.........to drag Turkey backwards, and further away from ever coming close to fulfilling criteria for EU membership. I don't generally support attempts to overhaul democracy, but I do wish that coup attempt* last year had been successful.

*this is making the (rather generous) assumption that it was an actual real coup attempt, and not simply an orchestrated show by Erdogan to solidify his grip on the nation.

aloyisious · 15-03-2017 4:08am

I was left wondering what Erdogan would do if Geert Wilder tried to insist he had the right to canvass in Turkey.

ancapailldorcha · 15-03-2017 3:46pm

Turkey's obstacles regarding joining the EU extend far beyond the Dutch. Ten years ago, David Cameron was quite keen that they join and at the time, that wasn't an unreasonable position. However, Erdogan has been moving towards entrenching himself in an increasingly autocratic regime while suppressing the rights of his own citizens. As long as he remains at the helm, Turkey joining the EU is an impossibility.

aloyisious · 16-03-2017 5:39pm

I'm mindful that he is an adroit politician, not sure if he wants to take Mustafa Kemal's mantle or that of Salah ad-Din, or even a mix of both.

Thomas__ · 17-03-2017 11:33am

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Turkey's obstacles regarding joining the EU extend far beyond the Dutch. Ten years ago, David Cameron was quite keen that they join and at the time, that wasn't an unreasonable position. However, Erdogan has been moving towards entrenching himself in an increasingly autocratic regime while suppressing the rights of his own citizens. As long as he remains at the helm, Turkey joining the EU is an impossibility.

Indeed, he´s brought about the set back of Turkey entering the EU for decades and Martin Schulz, the former EU EP President already suggested to tell Turkey that there will be no accession to the EU and I also think that there should be a clear cut and put that matter to bed by ending the negotiations. There is no way of allowing a Turkey ruled than autocratic and becoming more undemocratic by the rule of Erodan and once he has achieved what he wants, to get more power as President of Turkey, which bears some real possibility that he will get it next month, there will be a long time until Turkey becomes a normal democracy again.

But let´s be frank, at the present, nobody in the EU really wants to have Turkey as a member. I also think that the Turks know that themselves already. There will not even be a visa free travel for Turkish citizens to the EU. Not at the present and not even in the near future.

RobertKK · 22-03-2017 4:38pm

Turkey is a threat to Europe when you see Erdogan saying "Shame on the EU. Down with your European principles, values and justice... They started a clash between the cross and the crescent, there is no other explanation.”

Turkey's relations with Europe

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