Turkey to join EU... but are its people ready?

[imported_Shivetya]

Lovely Tolerant Religion they have but I guess its not PC to call them out on it?

Five youths were detained at the scene in the conservative eastern city of Malatya, Turkish authorities said. One news report said the suspects carried notes indicating their motive was right-wing nationalism.

nationalism == code word for killing all non muslims.

I don't care how the religion is supposed to be, but the nutjobs who are killing right and left in its name need to be eliminated. Nations which tolerate these actions need to be locked out of the world's economy until they get the point. All should be treated with respect. Yet until the world gets over its PC attitude nothing is going to change.

 

[imported_Tango]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Turkey_to_the_European_Union

Long way to go before entering the EU...

 

[5150Joker]

What religion do you subscribe to Shivetya?

 

[Borealis7]

Turkey is one of the most, if not THE most, westernized muslim-majority country. Until not long ago, its leaders were moderate muslims and christians and they got along with both the east and the west. as far as tourism goes, turkey is also very successful and its a country with a rich historical and cultural heritage.

but WHY OH WHY do the n00b turkish kids have to ruin every f2p MMORPG with their incessant nagging and bad behavior?!?!

maybe i just had the bad luck of running into all the annoying ones...
anyway i've been to turkey several times, lovely country and all but i understand their current administration is a more conservative muslim party that isnt so willing to conform to the EU rules (i could be wrong i havent read about it in a long time) so i dont see it happening anytime soon.

also, there are EUROPEAN countries that are still waiting to be included in the EU, shouldnt they come before Turkey?

 

[imported_Shivetya]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker
What religion do you subscribe to Shivetya?

and how is that germane to the discussion?


Oh, its not!

 

[Oric]

We are almost ready ...

 

[GTaudiophile]

Turkey won't join the EU in my lifetime...if so, I'll be surprised.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I've worked with the European Commission.
I've studied the EU for a long time.
I keep in touch with academia members and analysts specialized in history and European politics.
Turkey will NOT become part of the European Union in the foreseeable future, certainly not in the next decade.

 

[imported_Lothar]

They wont be entering the EU anytime soon.

 

[Thump553]

Very misleading topic title. Anyone who knows anything at all about this subject knows that it is not a foregone conclusion that Turkey will be admitted to the EU.

Personally I think it would be a good thing under certain conditions. People tend to forget that Turkey was one of the most stalwart and important allies to the US for years, especially during the Cold War.

Fundamentalist Islam will run it's course eventually, there is no sense in trashing our friends for the acts of a tiny minority.

 

[MikeO]

Turkey to join EU

Hopefully not.

 

[Martin]

For all their talk, they don't seem particularly interested in changing and playing to the EU's tune. Like other's have said, don't expect Turkey in the EU any time soon.. if ever.

 

[CanOWorms]

Turkey cannot join the EU when the ideology of the European far-right dominates mainstream politics within the EU. Having a potential Turkey joining the EU is a great diversion to more important issues, gives far-right champions votes, etc.

It's ironic though since this type of activity actually brings them in-line with Europe.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: Thump553
Very misleading topic title. Anyone who knows anything at all about this subject knows that it is not a foregone conclusion that Turkey will be admitted to the EU.

Personally I think it would be a good thing under certain conditions. People tend to forget that Turkey was one of the most stalwart and important allies to the US for years, especially during the Cold War.

Fundamentalist Islam will run it's course eventually, there is no sense in trashing our friends for the acts of a tiny minority.

I don't think the US is a part of the EU, unless i"m horribly mistaken

 

[Aimster]

so this is supposed to hurt them from entering into the EU because of the barbaric actions of a few?

The majority of Turkey is moderate. A very LARGE majority that numbers in the 90%+ range
The minority is so few that during the funerals of these Christians people went to the streets.

Turkey doesn't tolerate this B.S.

The low-class idiots who want to act fanatical and cry about everything will never get power inside Turkey.

 

[Double Trouble]

Turkey is one of the few secular muslim countries, but they've clearly taken a turn towards more conservative and less tolerant islam over the last few years. Unless they are willing to make some big changes, I don't see how they could join the EU anytime soon.

 

[Oric]

It is EU's last hope to admit Turkey if they don't want to stay as the "largest good hope project born dead" of the millenia. We (Turks) have to correct ourselves in many ways, that is true, but we are in the right track. Last reported killings are unfortunate and are not appreciated by anyway here ... On April 14th near half a million crowd marched opposing any president who is not %100 secularist. In the previous Armenian Journalist homicide, tens of thousands marched in Istanbul carrying banners saying "we are all Armenians". It is true that there is a ultra nationalist sect in this country but please raise your hands those WHO DON'T HAVE ?

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: Thump553
Very misleading topic title. Anyone who knows anything at all about this subject knows that it is not a foregone conclusion that Turkey will be admitted to the EU.

Personally I think it would be a good thing under certain conditions. People tend to forget that Turkey was one of the most stalwart and important allies to the US for years, especially during the Cold War.

Fundamentalist Islam will run it's course eventually, there is no sense in trashing our friends for the acts of a tiny minority.

I don't think the US is a part of the EU, unless i"m horribly mistaken

Reading comprehension please-where did I say that the USA is part of the EU? One of the points I made was that Turkey has long been a good ally of the USA. Left unsaid (because it is pretty obvious, at least to me) is that the members of the EU are also among the best allies of the US (through NATO) as well. In my view a large and strong EU will be generally to the benefit of the US. If nothing else, they are proving to be a valuable check on the corporate power of certain US corporations, a check that the US government is no longer able and/or willing to do.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Oric, like I was telling one of your journalist compatriots two years ago... you need to acknowledge the Armenian genocide, make peace with the Greeks and take care of the Cyprus problem as well. As it stands right now, the Greeks are dead set against having Turkey in the same economic and political union...

You also need to address the problem of your country becoming a gateway for Islamic militants penetrating the European continent.

And I really fail to see how the fate of the European Union hangs in the balance over accepting Turkey... sorry, but you're not *that* important. Besides your stranglehold on the Black Sea-Mediterranean shipping lanes, there's not much you can use as an ace.

 

[Turkish]

If you think this is the way majority of Turks feel about non-muslims, you are sadly mistaken. Hopefully the party that is in power at the time holds a referendum because 80% of Turks don't want the EU. Maybe when Europe washes off its racism, we'll favor in joining :thumbsup:

Oric, thanks for that post... but don't sweat it... just search for threads on Turkey. AnitaPeterson will be in every one of them and she'll be dissing Turkey even when BBC, The Economist and many other respectable media were applauding it for all the improvements in human, civil and social rights. AnitaPeterson, I have seen it plenty of times in the last 4 years, we get it: You hate Muslims and the Turks. It's ok. We don't care

 

[Turkish]

By the way Anita, why does Europe protect terrorists? I am sure it is because semi-auto weapons don't kill.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Turkish: thank you for an amusing post... you made my day.

If you think you're being persecuted, maybe you're right, and maybe you're wrong.
I remember seeing this and thinking that, a two-generation gap notwithstanding, Turkey must still have a long way to go.

As far as a personal grudge against you, my ancestors had to repel your ancestors' invasions for over 500 years, so I'm not exactly in a position of being totally objective. However, I'm also a realist, and personal sympathies play no part in realpolitik. I assure you that most (other) Europeans you'll talk to will give you similar objections, regardless of whether they previously dealt with you or not.

The world will probably see Serbia and Albania join the EU before Turkey - is it also a coincidence that these two countries, with their dismal human rights situation and wobbly democratic values "benefited" from a prolonged Turkish occupation for a couple of centuries?

 

[Aimster]

Turkey & ______

* Both are always criticized about their human rights record.
* Both have problems with excessive debt and inflation. While they have improved over the last few years, both of their records are spotty.
* Both have problems with extremist minorities
* Both have large military
* Both get billions of dollars in loans/grants from the United States

Nobody likes them for the "above" reasons, but we all know that is not the true reason.

Both are allies. with each other. Who needs the critics when they have each other?

 

[Turkish]

Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
Turkish: thank you for an amusing post... you made my day.

If you think you're being persecuted, maybe you're right, and maybe you're wrong.
I remember seeing this and thinking that, a two-generation gap notwithstanding, Turkey must still have a long way to go.

As far as a personal grudge against you, my ancestors had to repel your ancestors' invasions for over 500 years, so I'm not exactly in a position of being totally objective. However, I'm also a realist, and personal sympathies play no part in realpolitik. I assure you that most (other) Europeans you'll talk to will give you similar objections, regardless of whether they previously dealt with you or not.

The world will probably see Serbia and Albania join the EU before Turkey - is it also a coincidence that these two countries, with their dismal human rights situation and wobbly democratic values "benefited" from a prolonged Turkish occupation for a couple of centuries?

No need for you to give me that anti-Turkish Kurdish propoganda. I am half-Kurdish, half-Bulgarian by blood and was born in Turkey to be a proud Turkish citizen.

But I am glad you gave me the details of your hatred for Turkey. Good to know after 4 years. Have Albania and Serbia for your eventually collapsing union, couldn't care less

Oh and most Europeans are far less racist than you are so don't try to argue for their guilt.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Aimster
because of the barbaric actions of a few

Is it me, or does this phrase seem to come out a lot when talking about Muslims and Islam?