Turkey in the EU? Let the people decide! (Only Europeans)

[stormbind]

The EU made a promise to Turkey. Maybe that does not mean anything in Austria, but the French and British have a reputation for keeping their word.

 

[Homie]

Europe should never be one country, I hope the EU will go back to what it originally was, a trade arrangement, nothing more.

 

[kronic]

The EU made a promise to Turkey. Maybe that does not mean anything in Austria, but the French and British have a reputation for keeping their word.

Really?

 

[jameson]

Munich, 1938.

 

[Zulu Elephant]

The EU made a promise to Turkey. Maybe that does not mean anything in Austria, but the French and British have a reputation for keeping their word.

Really?

Perfidious Albion

 

[kryszcztov]

(I voted NO)

Is there anyone from Turkey on this board actually ? [...] Nice start...

I personally think that Turkey isn't part of Europe, and this isn't only about geography, but also history, culture, religion (whether you like it or not, and as much as I hate religion today, Christianity is the historical religion in Europe)... and a nice bunch of political and geopolitical things today. To sum it up, Turkey has so little to do with Europe that I don't understand why they want to enter, apart for economical issues (which we know, is the real issue for them) ?

Question 1 : Can anyone tell me why a non-European nation could enter the European Union ???

Question 2 : Anyone finds it suspicious that Turkey wants to strenghten its relationships with the West rather than the East ?

If Turkey wants to enter the European Union, well, just forget about the "European" part of it for a start, and just let it open to everyone, and then see if Turkey is able to join. I personally think that Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are better candidates... I also think Russia should not enter the EU, though differences are smaller. Ukraine is fine on paper, but is so close to Russia that it would require time.

EDIT : BTW, Cyprus isn't European either, really... And I dislike the fact that this island is cut in two...

 

[Zarn]

Turkey is in NATO, so why wouldn't it want to be a part of the West? They have nothing in common with Arabs except for the religion.

 

[kryszcztov]

They have nothing in common with Arabs except for the religion.

That's still more than with Europe. And maybe they have regional interests in the Middle-East ? Kurdistan ? Borders with Iraq, Iran, Syria, etc...

 

[Stapel]

The EU should in the first place be an economical union: Free Trade, same tax-laws, and above all a strong guard to avoid local economy protection. Turkey should most defenitely be a part of that.

As long as the EU spends 55% percent of its budget to stimulate cheap-labour-local-economy-inprofitable-agriculture-stuff AND has dumb pan-European political ambitions, the EU has not future anyway .

 

[Mr. Blonde]

@ winner
The homepage of the campaign is www.zukunfteuropa.at, it also has an English version. I didn´t look too much into it because it smells like self glorification of our government, maybe they have the spote there.

originally posted by Marla Singer
Of course there's no antisemitic attack in Austria. There's no jew anymore.


Please be careful before calling other countries antisemitic. Don't forget you're on an international forum.

Sorry if you got me wrong. I wanted to point out that the attacks on Austria are biased. I didn´t call anyone antisemitic, I merely stated the for ALL countries unpleasant poll results.
Antisemitism IS still a problem in whole Europe but instead of battling it the finger is pointed at Austria which is due to polls only in the mid field.

originally posted by kronic
Why does everyone want Croatia in?

Concerning Croatia I can tell you the reason: It is small, culturally very close and Austria is the biggest investor, that´s why Schüssel batteled for negotiations. I hope the Gotovina issue is not neglected (newspapers here wrote that he may be protected by the Croatian catholic church).

 

[Stapel]

Why does everyone want Croatia in?

So they have to stick to our pan-European economy laws.

 

[Drakan]

The EU made a promise to Turkey. Maybe that does not mean anything in Austria, but the French and British have a reputation for keeping their word.

Hmm, I guess you've forgotten how the British and French manipulated during WWI the palestinians to attack Turkey (allied to Germany) in excahange of what is now basically Israel. And curiously they made at they same time that exact promise to the Jews representative in London. The result: King David Hotel blown decades later with hundreds of valuable British officers dead or wounded and the beginning of an ongoing conflict in the middle east torn between Palestinians and israelis that threatens the stability of the region even to this day.

All due to false promises. Do you need more historical examples ?

Look, all countries at times have to play out real politik. Let us not say this or that country "have a reputation for keeping their word" because that just ain't true.

 

[Drakan]

Europe should never be one country, I hope the EU will go back to what it originally was, a trade arrangement, nothing more.

Then you are careless with History.

The EU was precisely formed to stop yet another conflict between France and Germany, the third within a century, that's the whole purpose of the EU.

Europeans don't want more wars, we are tired of them, for too long Europe has been a battlefield. The future of Europe lies politically united whether it takes 100 or 200 years. It's in our unity where our strength lies.

Separated we are nothing, taken together we're strong.

Reducing the EU to some trade agreement is ignoring the fundamentals scope of the Treaties and is leaving the door ajar to yet another war.

And hopefully I haven´t threadjacked "again" albeit international issues are intertwined you know ?

 

[WickedSmurf]

No, never. Ever.

Turkey -> EU = WickedSmurf -> USA/Australia(/Norway...?)

 

[Stapel]

The EU made a promise to Turkey. Maybe that does not mean anything in Austria, but the French and British have a reputation for keeping their word.

Maybe the English, but the French????????

The French and Germans haven proven themselves sneaky bastards! They tried to break the Euro-stability pact. The Netherlands agreed with this pact, based on STRONG promises they would not be broken.

It is completely impossible to make a strong union with French and Germans (and Italians for that matter, but they never promised it that hard). QED!

 

[Winner]

The EU made a promise to Turkey. Maybe that does not mean anything in Austria, but the French and British have a reputation for keeping their word.

Yeah, suuuuuure

France in particular

 

[Marla_Singer]

Yeah, suuuuuure

France in particular

Why France in Particular ? There wasn't only Daladier in Munich, there was also Chamberlain.

Funny how History becomes selective.... "the Brits had Churchill and the French had Daladier"...

Oh yeah, we could also say that the Brits had Chamberlain and the French had De Gaulle... all this is getting nowhere.

 

[Marla_Singer]

Then you are careless with History.

The EU was precisely formed to stop yet another conflict between France and Germany, the third within a century, that's the whole purpose of the EU.

Europeans don't want more wars, we are tired of them, for too long Europe has been a battlefield. The future of Europe lies politically united whether it takes 100 or 200 years. It's in our unity where our strength lies.

Separated we are nothing, taken together we're strong.

Reducing the EU to some trade agreement is ignoring the fundamentals scope of the Treaties and is leaving the door ajar to yet another war.

And hopefully I haven´t threadjacked "again" albeit international issues are intertwined you know ?

I agree with you.

Actually, Homie is totally wrong in assuming that the EU was originally only a trade agreement. I guess he's mixing up the EFTA and the EU.

 

[Stapel]

Why France in Particular ? There wasn't only Daladier in Munich, there was also Chamberlain.

Maybe Winner was not referring to the Czechoslvakian screw-up in 1938?

 

[Marla_Singer]

Maybe Winner was not referring to the Czechoslvakian screw-up in 1938?

Oh well, then I'm sorry.