Do you want Turkey to join the EU?

Poll

Do you want Turkey to join the EU?

I pray that it won't, but fortunately this seems a very unlikely prospect anyway.

In my opinion, and this is one that is shared by France and Germany, the borders of Europe do not end at Iraq and Iran. I would not want to be associated with a country that is 99% Muslim (actual figure) as I already fear the disastrous effect that Islamification is having upon the EU. Human rights are already at a shocking low in Turkey.

Also, Iceland applied for membership in July 2009, and is already well on the way to becoming a full member. Turkey applied in 2005, and is still at square one.

Do you want Turkey to join?

Reply 1

username196545

19

Lol, no I don't. It may be 'Europe' but it's not exactly European. :rolleyes:

Reply 2

george54

miloscruggs

I pray that it won't, but fortunately this seems a very unlikely prospect anyway.

In my opinion, and this is one that is shared by France and Germany, the borders of Europe do not end at Iraq and Iran. I would not want to be associated with a country that is 99% Muslim (actual figure) as I already fear the disastrous effect that Islamification is having upon the EU. Human rights are already at a shocking low in Turkey.

Also, Iceland applied for membership in July 2009, and is already well on the way to becoming a full member. Turkey applied in 2005, and is still at square one.

Do you want Turkey to join?

the question is, do i care?

what effect would it have?

Reply 3

Limon Fanta

Nope, its in Asia

/thread

Reply 4

miloscruggs

OP

george54

the question is, do i care?

what effect would it have?

We'd be opening the floodgates to a place that is seen as the land of milk and honey by the majority of an impoverished Turkish population.

Reply 5

FifthQuarter

1

Apologies. I am not an E.U. citizen..but I voted "no." I don't think Turkey is ready yet.

Reply 6

iwilson03

16

Apparently Morocco has also applied :s-smilie:

Reply 7

HeliWolf

No, I can't consider it part of Europe and thus not suitable for the European Union.

Reply 8

miloscruggs

OP

FifthQuarter

Apologies. I am not an E.U. citizen..but I voted "no." I don't think Turkey is ready yet.

I'm interested in what overseas citizens think. Why do you (as an American I presume) think it's not ready? Do you think it ever could be?

Reply 9

miloscruggs

OP

iwilson03

Apparently Morocco has also applied :s-smilie:

Oh for heaven's sake. Now Africans are wanting in? They can sod off I say.

Reply 10

Edycal

I just hope Russia makes their application soon enough as well...looks like the whole world is wanting to join the E.U. :wink:

Reply 11

laura_j90

8

I'm not too bothered either way, I don't think they're ready, but they won't be allowed to join until they're up to the "standard" that's specified for countries to join the EU anyway, so unless they reach that standard they won't.

Plus, they own some cypriot land and there's hostility about that, and unless they give that back they can't join the EU.

As for "Oh no, they shouldn't join because they're muslims" - I personally think that's a stupid attitude but everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

Oh, and turkey is part Asian, part European.

Reply 12

power and panache

quote

miloscruggs

I pray that it will, but fortunately this seems a very likely prospect now.

In my opinion, and this is one that is shared by France and Germany, the borders of Europe do not end at Iraq and Iran. I would like to be associated with a country that is 99% Muslim who are awesome people as I already fear the disastrous effect of my ignorance. Human rights are already at a shockingly high in Turkey.

Also, Iceland applied for membership in July 2009, and is already well on the way to becoming a full member. Turkey applied in 2005, and is slowly but surely is getting there :yes:

Do you want Turkey to join? Yes

Reply 13

Lil Piranha

12

If it does, then only Thrace (the European bit) should be allowed in. Anatolia (which is about 95% of Turkey) is in Asia, and as such has no place in a European Union.

Reply 14

RamocitoMorales

21

Well as a Turk I can see that the people of Turkey would gain some advantages, such as lower tuition fees in European universities. It would also make trading with other European nations a lot easier. Turkey also has the 2nd largest army in NATO, behind the USA, so I guess that would bring some military power to Europe.

However, as a patriot, I don't want to see Turkey's national identity ruined by Europe.

Reply 15

iwilson03

16

In terms of whether Turkey is actually European or not it is a grey area. Although geographically much of the country lies in Asia it does still straddle both continents. Istanbul is also historically 'central' to European culture, indeed it has been one of the most important European cities for thousands of years.

The reason I oppose it joining is the human rights abuses. However if that can be sorted out quickly then I'd fully support it joining.

Reply 16

Limon Fanta

laura_j90

Oh, and turkey is part Asian, part European.

96% Asian actually

Reply 17

Notker

3

No, I don't think they should - they aren't culturally, linguistically, ethnically, historically, geographically European. As such why should they join the European Union?

laura_j90

Oh, and turkey is part Asian, part European.

Only the tiniest part - specifically East Thrace, is in Europe.

Reply 18

Locke54

16

God no. It's not going to anyways, France, Germany and Austria are resolutely against it and the new European President is aswell. We should look to get the Balkan states in and then the Ukraine and leave it at that.

The only reason theres actually a part of Turkey still in Europe is because Britain et al wanted a buffer between the Balkan States/Russia and Constantinople, so the city was actually defensible.

Reply 19

FifthQuarter

1

miloscruggs

I'm interested in what overseas citizens think. Why do you (as an American I presume) think it's not ready? Do you think it ever could be?

1. Agro subsidies. Countries like UK won't be benefiting much. But I think the new treaty and reforms around the Common Agro Policy have alleviated many of the problems...but nonetheless, Turkey is a huge and relatively agrarian nation compared to its western counterparts such as UK

2. The Kurdish discourse. Lots of improvements recently...but is it all that genuine? i would be the first to admit that Turkey, along with France, Germany and etc. have human rights issues (highly racialized/nationalistic policies around immigration/guest workers)

3. If Turkey joins the common Euro zone...it loses its monetary policy making decision. Also,...i don't think Turkey and EU have that Optimal Currency Area...I can only see Turks moving out of Turkey to other parts of Europe and not the other way...economically speaking, it's not compatible yet.

4. again, Turkey has more to lose by joining EU. of course, you have that no tariff/freedom of goods movement and etc...but you are also restrained from arbitrary constraints such as debt level and deficit level. if a country's gdp growth rate is higher than the cost of borrowing, you should be allowed to go above whatever the goal deficit/debt level that the EU has set. many of the EU economic standards/restraints are applicable to mature/developed nations. these aren't necessarily applicable to countries like Poland or Turkey.

Do you want Turkey to join the EU?

Do you want Turkey to join the EU?

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