Should Turkey join EU?

Question

Should Turkey join EU?

Answer 1

Not in my opinion. Culturally their not European, Economically their a non-starter and they have one of the worst human rights records in the world.

Answer 2

Turkey is basically an Islamic state and it might have conflicts with other countries in the EU.  Just the same reason that Russia as a communist country cannot join the EU because of conflicting systems.

Answer 3

Not if it will join as a theocracy.

Answer 4

Turkey is unnecessarily diluting itself to enter into EU. Turkey instead of going into EU should form a middle eastern union.

They should have arabic alphabets for their language instead of romans.

Answer 5

And why not? Turkey has been and is a European country, since Mehmet II. took over the dying, corrupted Byzantine Empire. Please go and read some 'true' history, not heresy.

I see from some responses below that some Europeans (I assumed they are) are either ignorant of the truth or extremely prejudiced, ethnocentric, and religiously biased.

1- All those Balkan states, and the Middle-East countries lived under Ottoman Empire with no trouble whatsoever. Ethnic problems started in those countries in the 19th Centur, when the Ottoman Empire grew weak and some European countries began to fiddle with her internal affairs.

2- The current bad situation in the Balkans is a result of Soviet influence and corrupted leaders, not because of Turks.

3- Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived in complete freedom and friendhsip under Turkish rule, especially in Palestine. It was the British who created the Israeli state and started all the bloodshed.

4- Turkey is a secular state although majority of its population is Muslim. By opposing Turkey's EU membership on the grounds of religion just shows that you do not understand the philosophy behind EU, and that you yourselves are religious fundamentalists.

5- Republic of Cyprus was founded on 16 August, 1960 with the partnership of Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Turkey, Greece and UK are guarantor powers by agreement. Turkish Cypriots were ousted of the government in December 1963. After 11 years of ethnic clashes on the island, a coup, backed by the Greek Junta in July 74 tried to change the constitution and the state of Cyprus by joining it to Greece. Turkey, after applying UK for joint action, used her guarantor obligation and intervened to save Turkish Cypriots from ethnic cleansing (go check mass graves).

6- Three years ago a UN peace plan (Annan plan) was put to referenda in two parts of the island to reunite. Turkish Cypriots supported the plan with a 65% yes vote. Greek Cypriots rejected it with 75%.

Still, they were admitted into EU and Turkish Cypriots left out. Turkey supported the UN plan.

7- Turkey signed the Ankara and Rome treaties back in 1960 to join the EU (the then Common Market).

8- Turkey will become an EU member when her economy and democratic system is further developed and meets the EU criteria.

9- Ask yourself in what ways some of the new member states (like Bulgaria, Romania and the new candidates Serbia, Croatia etc.) are better than Turkey.

10- Finally, EU is based on human values, not on Christianity.

Answer 6

Not yet... Look at Ukraine instead, they are closer to the european standards.

Answer 7

Why not... civilised country with no smoking restrictions

Answer 8

No. They're not really in the zone to be part of Europe and don't have the finances to contribute equally. I know France doesn't want them in because they're too strong of a Muslim country (too great of a population and they'd lose their status as the second biggest country since Turkey is so much bigger).

I know Cyprus is part of the EU but since they're part of Greece (and I know Cypriots have different laws but they are considered a part of Greece),

Answer 9

We are too good for EU...

Answer 10

NO! Turkey is in Asia, which starts at the Dardanelles, however as the prats who run Brussels have no idea of geography and are only trying to increase the size of the dictatorship then we will count for nothing in this debate.

Answer 11

No and there are few reasons for this

They not really Europeans Turkey

They have bad human rights records

They showed there true colour when the Pope vist Turkey

They burned down a few EU office during the Danish cartoon protest in Turkey.

The Germans are oppose to Turkey joining the EU. They have over three millions Turks living there.

Turkey is closer to the middle east than Europe.

Answer 12

Well they can, if we leave ! Otherwise they will all be over here. Stone the crows, I don't see any end to all this mass immigration to these shores.

Answer 13

we shouldnt.They should join us.:)))

Answer 14

No, the crackpots would use it as a gateway to commit terrorist acts.

Answer 15

Yes by all means. If Turkey is kept away then EU be called a biased community.

Answer 16

of course not. it must be a whole all by itself - Turkey has the capacity to become a strong county, only if EU and America stop interfere with its internal and external relations..

Answer 17

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Answer 18

Yes. it should and hopefully it should happens soon. But there are some conditions as Europe has told several times to Turkey:

1) Civil society and european laws must be accepted

2) Europe believes on peace until any other way is completely finished. Conflicts must be solved using diplomacy, not armies (see Cyprus)

3) Help to turkish economy will be similar to any other eastern european country

Answer 19

NO WE SHOULDN``T... WE ARE BETTER THEN TWO FACED AND GREEDY EU...

EU IS A SICK AND HUNGRY MAN AND IS DYÄ°NG ANYWAY...

WE AS MOST TURKISH NATÄ°ON DONT WANT TO BE Ä°N IT FOR YOUR Ä°NFO PEOPLE...

Answer 20

WHY NOT? IF YOU KNOW HISTORY, YOU WONT ASK A QUESTION LIKE THIS.

Answer 21

sure why not, isreal is in the eurovision song contest and they are about as european as ghana. but turkey is partly on the european continent and have a central government so yeah they should join as long as they have something they can trade with and i dont mean a cheap labour force.

Answer 22

nobody should join the EU. it`s a big rip off the EU says we should not pay tax again on cigarettes when you get them from abroad but the prime minister says up yours we will charge tax again. who is the boss EU. or Blair they do just what they want and we have no say at all. years ago the EU say`s we all have to change all the exit boxes`s above all exits we did at a cost of millions. did other country's in the EU do IT NO.

Answer 23

NO! They are not European!

Answer 24

IF YOU HAVE REALLY CHECKED THEIR HISTORY YOU WOULD NOT EVEN THINK OF THEM AS A COUNTRY SO WHY EVEN ASK QUESTION ABOUT EU.NO NO NO .IF THEY EVER GET ACCEPTED IN EU YOU WOULD WISH FOR THEM TO  GO STRAIGHT OUT OF IT...NOTHING AGAINST THEM BUT I HAVE STUDIED THEIR CULTURE AND HISTORY AND IT WAS WASTE OF MY TIME TO ME EVERYWHERE THEY WENT SOMETHING BAD WENT ON FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.PLEASE READ SOME INFO BEFORE YOU EVEN CONSIDER.BECAUSE OF THEM MANY OF THE EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE IN SUCH BAD SITUATION NOW.

Answer 25

I do not believe it is either in the interest of Europe or of Turkey for that country to join the EU.

While their political structure and their constitution are secular, it is none the less true that their culture and their beliefs are deeply held and are Islamic. Until such time as we are certain in Europe that their will be no "Islamic" agenda in their joining then they should not be offered more than a preferred partnership. They have already made it plain that they will not recognise Cyprus, a full member of the union, nor even allow Cypriot ships to enter Turkish ports when it was Turkey that invaded the island! How can we accept such a country as a full member?