Turkey's intention to join EU creates political dilemma

[lovuian]

http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/365/16225_Turkey.html

Turkey with its 66-million strong population has all chances to become the largest state of the European Union

Another stage of negotiations about Turkey's membership in the European Union is set to begin on October 3. All EU members have prepared their requirements for Ankara on the threshold of the talks. As it was expected before, Europe wants Turkey to acknowledge the Greek Cyprus and include the island in all agreements, which Turkey and the European Union have concluded before.

Turkey submitted its EU membership bid in 1982 soon after its eternal rival, Greece, became a union member. The talks have not been able to progress for more than 20 years since then. European officials constantly accused the Turkish government of violating human rights, especially the rights of national minorities, of the weak economic development, etc. The EU welcomed ten new members during that period; Bulgaria and Romania are currently waiting for their turn, and Turkey would like to be the third in the line. However, the Turkish bid has been rejected again.

It seemed that Turkey had absolutely no chances to obtain a full membership in the European Union in 1997, during the talks about the union's expansion owing to the states of Eastern Europe. Turkish Islamic leader Necmettin Erbakan was determined to make Turkey a solely Islamic state. The secular-oriented military overthrew Erbakan, though, and Turkey submitted another bid to the EU. Turkey started conducting serious reforms afterwards: the Turkish government had to abolish death penalty, acknowledge the existence of national minorities, Kurds first and foremost, and sign a trade agreement with the EU. There were many other questions left, but the problem of Turkish-Cypriot relations is obviously the most important one of them.

more...

This is going to be the Biggest hurdle to get through for the EU!!!

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Germany would still be the largest EU member state

I sometimes see references to Turkey becoming the largest state in the EU, but Germany's population is about 84 million, so it would still be the largest.

For that matter, the UK, France, and Italy are all around 60 million, so Turkey isn't that much bigger in population than the the next three big ones.

[HannibalBarca]

2. Also...

...the economies and military capabilities of those countries (especially the UK) outclass Turkey in all respects.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. According th census estimates, Turkey will overtake Germany in about 2025

when its population has increased from 69 million (what it is now) to about 82 million, which Germany will have shrunk to by that time.

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html

[BrklynLiberal]

3. The Vatican has let it be known that it does not want Turkey in the EU.

They feel the EU is for "Christian" countries only.
:puke:

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Yes, the Vatican and Europe's supposed Christian roots

Or whatever that phrase is they kept using when they were trying to get Christianity mentioned in the proposed EU constitution. They made no mention of Europe's rather significant pagan roots, though!

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. The article completely ignore that it's Austria that's blocking the bid

Britain was locked in frantic last-ditch diplomacy last night to avert the collapse of plans to start European Union membership talks with Turkey.

With Austria stubbornly refusing to give the green light for the historic negotiations, one senior EU diplomat said there was no more than a 50 per cent chance of them starting on Monday as scheduled.
...
Most diplomats have assumed that, since it is isolated, Vienna will back down. But one EU diplomat said: "We are still assuming there will be a solution on Sunday, but I would only give it a 50-50 chance."

In Austria, which has regional elections tomorrow, none of the main political parties backs Turkish membership of the EU, and the Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, has enjoyed a positive domestic press for his stance.

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article316376.ece

[JI7]

7. while Turkey is Muslim they are like many EU nations in that

they are still very secular .