Cyprus-Forum.com

[boomerang]

EU must learn lessons from past when looking at Jasmine Revolution

Leading figures from across the political spectrum have joined together to call on the European Union to reflect on the lessons of the fall of Communism two decades ago when considering how to respond to the current wave of revolutions sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. In a letter (£) to the Financial Times, Lord Mandelson, Lord Ashdown, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and others say the West should offer support to the free regimes – but with conditions.

They write:

“As European politicians start to formulate a response to the changes in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) they should reflect on the lessons from the last mass pro-democracy movement which occurred as the Berlin Wall fell more than 20 years ago.

“The support that western Europe offered the east at that time has strengthened the whole of the region both politically and economically in the subsequent two decades.

“If the European Union wants to influence its southern neighbours, with which it shares so much common history, it must make a wider offer in terms of aid, markets and mobility. That means more generous and better targeted development packages, removing the last barriers to the import of fruit and vegetables from the region, and adopting more flexible visa regimes.

“The customs union between the EU and Turkey could be extended to North African countries.

“But the generous offer must be coupled with strict conditionality to raise standards of governance and improve human rights.

“As a first step towards this, MENA countries should begin the process of incorporating into their law the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights, of which Turkey is a signatory. The EU should give technical and moral support to this process, which would remain a sovereign decision but one that would help to embed a new judicial and political culture in these countries.”

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/03/ ... communism/

turkey's worst nightmare, with competition in the pipe lines...the monopoly thus far extended to turkey will over time diminish in value...and reading between lines the lesson to be learned by the eu is not to have countries that abuse human rights...

[boulio]

very interesting article in politis today,actually front page about the custom union agreement.

Bascially erdogan after the june 12 elections in turkey will offer a solution package for the customs union with cyprus:

1)ankara conforms to the agreement concering roc ships and airplanes
2)the t/c get ammochostos and kyrenia ports for export under EU Supervision
3)roc allows 2-3 chapters to open

erdogan is said to hold varosia for the last minute in the deal were as he gives varosia under EU or UN while the roc allows ercan to operate under international supervision.it is said that the turks are looking for a way for the g/c to operate at ercan under the supervision plan so that sovergenty issues dont arise.

if not excepted plan b for turkey is to distance herself from the EU and basically annex the north by sending a govenor to manage the north.thus making it a turkish provence.

[B25]

Only option 1 is acceptable. The others are just blackmail attempts and should be thrown out.

We are done with turkish blackmailing and bazaliki.

[Hermes]

Either Turkey agrees to its commitments or the EU will be done with them.

[Viewpoint]

When will this all kick off as the EU seem to do nothing.

[Hermes]

When will this all kick off as the EU seem to do nothing.

What do you mean? The EU lays down the law and Turkey can either obey the rules or bugger off. There's nothing more the EU needs to do.

[Viewpoint]

When will this all kick off as the EU seem to do nothing.

What do you mean? The EU lays down the law and Turkey can either obey the rules or bugger off. There's nothing more the EU needs to do.

They do nothing when Turkey tells them to take a jump, when will they take action?

[Hermes]

When will this all kick off as the EU seem to do nothing.

What do you mean? The EU lays down the law and Turkey can either obey the rules or bugger off. There's nothing more the EU needs to do.

They do nothing when Turkey tells them to take a jump, when will they take action?

You've got it the wrong way round. Turkey is in no position to dictate to the EU the terms of its entry. Otherwise why are all its negotiating chapters frozen?

[Mapko]

None of these is acceptable. What is acceptable is a total and unequivocal removal of all things Turk - military, political and the cave-dwellers sent to push up the numbers from Cyprus. Everything returns to its original existence - Lefkosa rightfully becomes Lefkosia; the name Kibris ceases to exist; the name Ercan airport ceases to exist; all property is handed back to its rightful owners; all CHURCHES are restored to their original beauty; everything is scrubbed and cleaned. Obviously, island Turks should get their houses back in the South, but only a total cessation of anything Turk can and should be the goal.

[boulio]

i think its a game of chicken right now,erdogan dosent want to lose face by walking away before the elections.after the elections he will either move ahead with the eu or without,but he will claim the eu dosent want a muslim country and blah blah and claim victory.