Bagis explains why Turkey's EU accession talks have ground to a halt:
In response to criticism by opposition lawmakers that Croatia had overtaken Turkey even though membership talks began simultaneously, Bagis said the situation would have been different for Turkey if "it had said yes to everything like Croatia."
He also said that, according to the paper, Romania's premier had advised him last year not to heed all the demands of the EU because they had ruined the Romanian economy.
“He said: ‘Don’t do everything the commission wants. If we are going through economic hardship today, it’s because we said yes to everything.’ Romania finished the accession talks in four years but they closed down their farms so that Germany and France could sell them salami and sausages,” Bağış said.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2011-11-17