Cyprus-Forum.com

[RAFAELLA]

Austria’s Finance Minister has vowed to oppose Ankara’s bid to become a full member of the European Union, saying public opinion within the bloc did not support Turkey’s accession.

NTV-MSNBC
Güncelleme: 12:35 18 Temmuz 2005 PazartesiVIENNA - Other countries such as Croatia and the Balkan states had more of a right to be included in the EU, Grasser said.
It would be wrong to carry out negotiations for full Turkish membership of the EU, Austrian Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser said in an interview published by the Financial Times Monday.

“If you were to ask the people ‘Are you for Turkish membership?’, I’m convinced that you would get ‘No’ as an answer, Grasser said.
The Austrian Finance Minister said that while his country supported strengthening economic and social ties with Ankara, he favoured a partnership arrangement with Turkey and the EU, not full membership.

“I will strive to communicate clearly to Turkey that we have every interest in economic and social stabilisation but we cannot envisage full membership,” he said in the interview. “I think, too, that the heads of state and government have recognised that the Turkey question has become too removed from the people.”

Grasser said that countries such as Croatia and other Balkan states had a greater right to be included in the EU than Turkey.
The EU is scheduled to open accession negotiations with Ankara on October 3, after the bloc’s leaders voted at their December 2004 summit to back open ended membership talks.
http://www.ntv.com.tr/news/333435.asp

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I also believe that EU citizens must have a say regarding TR becoming an EU member.

[brother]

I also believe that EU citizens must have a say regarding TR becoming an EU member.

What like they should have about allowing the ROC in as a divided island?

[Turkey (( *]

People in this forum really think people in Turkey are so desparate to go into EU. That is just not right, I mean the politicians may be but not the people!! We go in then it's ok, if we don't too bad! Every country who is a candidate for EU membership is supposed to be treated equally, I can't see that happening at the moment!!

[brother]

I just find it strange how some people enjoy hearing about these kind of news, yet they are the ones who need turkey in the E.U more than anyone else but Raf in particular takes immense pleasure from being the bearer of bad news where the turks are concerned imo.

[detailer]

I just find it strange how some people enjoy hearing about these kind of news, yet they are the ones who need turkey in the E.U more than anyone else but Raf in particular takes immense pleasure from being the bearer of bad news where the turks are concerned imo.

Well, that helps to appreciate reasonable GC like alex, dhavlos, bananiot etc. I will make a poll about this.

[cannedmoose]

People in this forum really think people in Turkey are so desparate to go into EU. That is just not right, I mean the politicians may be but not the people!! We go in then it's ok, if we don't too bad! Every country who is a candidate for EU membership is supposed to be treated equally, I can't see that happening at the moment!!

On the contrary Turkey. I'm a firm supporter of Turkey's membership of the EU, but at the same time I can understand the views of those who oppose it for whatever reason. I also think that Turkey is not being singled out for bad treatment compared to some other candidates - look at Croatia which is currently suspended for failing to hand over a former-general that is accused of human rights abuses during the Yugoslav war.

Also, remember that this is not the first time that EU member states have been reticent about bringing in a large, potentially difficult member. If you recall the history of the EEC in the 1960s, you'll remember that France vetoed UK accession at that time for purely political reasons.

[magikthrill]

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050718/3/24508.html

Britain fends off challenges to Turkey's EU bid

Photo: Reuters
Click to enlarge

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU president Britain fended off Austrian and Cypriot attempts on Monday to raise new hurdles to Turkey's bid to open European Union membership talks, while a survey showed a majority of Europeans opposed Ankara's entry.
The Eurobarometer survey, published by the EU's executive European Commission, showed 52 percent of people in the 25-nation bloc opposed Turkish membership and that only 35 percent were in favour.

Hostility was strongest in Western Europe. Only 32 percent in the 15 old West European member states supported Turkish accession. The Austrians (80 percent), Germans (74 percent) and the French (70 percent) were the most hostile.

Opposition to Turkey has grown by 24 percentage points in Austria, 20 in Germany and six in France since the Eurobarometer survey last asked the question in 2002.

After EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn briefed the bloc's 25 foreign ministers on the proposed draft negotiating mandate for talks with Ankara, Austria and Cyprus voiced familiar objections, diplomats said.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it was not the right moment to discuss the issue, promising ministers they would have a substantial discussion at an informal meeting in Wales in early September. ADVERTISEMENT



Despite public opinion, EU leaders committed themselves last December, and again in June, to open membership negotiations with Turkey, and voters would have their say once there was an accession treaty to ratify, said Straw.

AUSTRIA QUESTIONS TURKISH BID

Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnick said the EU should not rule out alternatives to full membership and asked why the Commission was planning to publish its next report on Turkey's progress only after the talks started.

She also questioned the EU's capacity to absorb such a large and economically backward country.

"We have always thought it would be smart to explicitly spell out an alternative," Plassnick told a news conference. "We stress the issue of (the EU's) absorption capacity accordingly."

But Plassnick did not endorse the views of Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, who said in an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper and Austria's Der Standard that the EU should postpone entry talks with Turkey and consider Balkan membership hopefuls instead.

Grasser, a right-wing maverick, voiced similar views before EU leaders took the decision last December to open negotiations with Turkey. But the Austrian government nevertheless went along with the EU decision.

Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iakovou demanded to know what conditions Turkey would put on signing a protocol extending its EU customs union to the 10 new member states which joined last year, including Cyprus.

Ankara is expected to sign the document in the next few weeks but has said it will make clear the act is not tantamount to recognition of the government of the Republic of Cyprus.

Turkey has kept 35,000 troops in Northern Cyprus since it invaded the east Mediterranean island in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia engineered by Greece's then ruling military junta.

Diplomats said that while no foreign minister made an explicit link, some had said it would be difficult for them if the EU opened negotiations with Turkey before starting talks with Croatia, whose membership bid has been stymied by its failure to arrest and hand over a wanted war crimes suspect.

Straw said the two cases were not linked, but he pledged an EU task force would review Croatia's record again in September to see whether it had cooperated sufficiently with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague to warrant starting talks.

The Eurobarometer poll of 29,328 voters in the 25 EU member states was conducted by TNS Opinion and Social between May 9 and June 14, spanning the period in which France and the Netherlands rejected a planned EU constitution in referendums.

[cannedmoose]

Just for your info on Thrill's post... the percentage of Cypriots in favour of further enlargement, including Turkey was 70%, fourth highest in Europe. In Northern Cyprus, the percentage was 64%.

[Yiannis]

In Northern Cyprus, the percentage was 64%

WOW!!!
Whats the main reason for that.Should i guess is because TCs think that a possible entry of Turkey would lead to an abandon of Turkey's current position on Cyprus Problem?
Moose, Lordos anyone....

[Agios Amvrosios]

Turkey CC*:

Every country who is a candidate for EU membership is supposed to be treated equally, I can't see that happening at the moment!!

Which other country is illegally occupying another country who forms part of European territory? Which other country is preventing people living in their towns and villages based purely on their ethnicity? Which other country has not come to terms with its genocide of entire ethnic groups? Which other country has a human rights record like Turkey? Turkey has o be treated differently because its like no other country. I expect that many thingswill be infact overlooked now that GB has the presidency.