Cyprus-Forum.com

[cannedmoose]

Here's why Turkey won't become a member before 2015... talks will last at least 10 years and, as with previous accession negotiations (at least in principle), there is no guarantee of membership at the end of it - although effectively Turkey should have completely written into its statutes the acquis by the end of the process, so if accession talks progress, Turkey will have to fundamentally change in many areas.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4632353.stm

[demetriou_74]

intresting reading

[Agios Amvrosios]

I think turkey will have to work harder to convimce Europe that it has modernized. It may take several decades before Europe sees Turkey as a progressive democratic country. Citizens in many European countries are reluctant to think of Turkey as anything other than an agressive and chauvanist country.

[cannedmoose]

I think turkey will have to work harder to convimce Europe that it has modernized. It may take several decades before Europe sees Turkey as a progressive democratic country. Citizens in many European countries are reluctant to think of Turkey as anything other than an agressive and chauvanist country.

I don't think this assumption of how European citizens think is correct. In the recent referenda in France and Holland only 3-6% of the no voters cited potential Turkish membership as their main reason for voting no. A great number of these could have been members of the Armenia diaspora in France and the far-right in Holland.

People across Europe don't see Turkey as aggressive and chauvinistic, Turkish politics and foreign policy don't feature high on peoples' interests. Rather they see it as an exotic place where they take 2 weeks holiday. Most also wouldn't label Turkey as a European country if you asked that question. The crux is that to most people Turkey is an enigma, all they know is that most of the country is not in Europe, it has a generally poor population, and that most Turks are muslim. What Turkey needs to do is to better promote itself in Europe.

[demetriou_74]

proven or not proved turkey does have a bad human rights record. plus due to its strict islamic views, mainly against women the EU will not agree with their policy. and not to mention cyprus plays a key role here.

[Turkey (( *]

Demetriu have you ever been to Turkey??

[demetriou_74]

no i have not. is that an issue?

[brother]

Yes, its usually good to have seen and experienced for your self to be able to give an accurate and honest opinion and not one based on hear say like you are doing at the moment.

[cannedmoose]

If anything, the EU will force Turkey to moderate its anti-islamic views as part of improving the human rights situation. Demetriou, I suggest you visit Turkey and see that it's not the hotbed of fundamentalism that you imagine (well, only in some areas). Secularism is the national mantra re.

I think the Turkish government is in for a big surprise once negotiations start anyway. Erdogan up till now has pursued accession negotiations on the basis of equality with the EU, I think he's about to realise that if he wants in, he'll have to jump through the Union's hoops from now on, rather than his own.

[Turkey (( *]

No it is not a problem. However earlier you said that Turkey has a bad human rights record. Now can you please tell me a country that doesn't! Let's take USA for example, they have tortured the prisoners in Iraq. Let's take France, Switzerland and Armenia; police abuse against protesters.Check: http://web.amnesty.org/library/engindex. Anyway, the only thing Turkey wants from EU is economical support, but if that means we have to leave what we believe behind, thanks but forget about it! The government may seem very keen to get into EU, but if my observations are true, the people don't care so much. We go in, good for us, we don't, too bad!