Cyprus-Forum.com

[Oceanside50]

look they will give sevan a fair trial and then jail her. fair is fair right

They gave him a trial and 13 months in prison...

[Maximus]

The AKP bag of peanuts wants to murder atheist's now.

An official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) sparked controversy after he called for the “annihilation of atheists" on his Twitter account.

“My blood boils when spineless psychopaths pretending to be atheist swear at my religion. These people which have been raped should be annihilated,” Macit wrote in one tweet. He also argued that “insulting Islam could not be considered freedom of expression.”

This is a bit extreme, from the country who's EU minister thinks his country is a "candidate country for the leadership of the EU".

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/akp-me ... sCatID=341

[Tim Drayton]

Precisely, I would have thought that events like these make it abundantly clear that the current Turkish regime is no longer seriously pursuing the goal of EU membership.

[Get Real!]

Precisely, I would have thought that events like these make it abundantly clear that the current Turkish regime is no longer seriously pursuing the goal of EU membership.

Since when is the personal opinion of individuals (politicians even) considered official national policy?

[kurupetos]

look they will give sevan a fair trial and then jail her. fair is fair right

They gave him a trial and 13 months in prison...

At least Turkish 'justice' is fast.

[Tim Drayton]

Precisely, I would have thought that events like these make it abundantly clear that the current Turkish regime is no longer seriously pursuing the goal of EU membership.

Since when is the personal opinion of individuals (politicians even) considered official national policy?

No, I am referring to the event on which this thread is based, or indeed to events like the 5,000 arrests and 3,500 detentions of a political nature over the previous two years mentioned in an interview given last year by Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Contemporary Lawyers Association chair.

[Get Real!]

Precisely, I would have thought that events like these make it abundantly clear that the current Turkish regime is no longer seriously pursuing the goal of EU membership.

Since when is the personal opinion of individuals (politicians even) considered official national policy?

No, I am referring to the event on which this thread is based, or indeed to events like the 5,000 arrests and 3,500 detentions of a political nature over the previous two years mentioned in an interview given last year by Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Contemporary Lawyers Association chair.

Sorry, I somehow connected your post with Maximus’ just above it!

You didn’t quote what you were responding to though and that leaves it open.

[Tim Drayton]

In a way, I was trying to tie it all together. There is a stark contradiction between the behaviour of the current Turkish regime over the past seven years or so and its claims to aspire to EU membership. For some reason, people here seem to have difficulty addressing the possibility that such claims may not be sincere.

For a bit of context, to show that politicians can and do lie, look at these choice quotes, just three examples taken from the collection at:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2003/05/29/ ... what-when/

Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.

Dick Cheney August 26, 2002

We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons — the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have.

George Bush February 8, 2003

Saddam’s removal is necessary to eradicate the threat from his weapons of mass destruction.

Jack Straw,
Foreign Secretary 2 April, 2003

[Maximus]

There is a stark contradiction between the behaviour of the current Turkish regime over the past seven years or so and its claims to aspire to EU membership

Your observation is correct. Turkey is actually trying to access the EU through a 'parallel' political negotiation instead of complying with the Copenhagen criteria like everyone else. Her intent is dubious in my opinion and they are demanding special treatment because they have 'sensitivities'. I just interpret this as trouble, which will be used to excuse themselves from behaving.

If this is how they behave before they are in, I dread to think how they will behave when/if they are in and how it will affect everyone else.

The whole thing is just madness in my opinion. Turkey will undermine everything because she is Muslim !!

[Tim Drayton]

There is a stark contradiction between the behaviour of the current Turkish regime over the past seven years or so and its claims to aspire to EU membership

Your observation is correct. Turkey is actually trying to access the EU through a 'parallel' political negotiation instead of complying with the Copenhagen criteria like everyone else. Her intent is dubious in my opinion and they are demanding special treatment because they have 'sensitivities'. I just interpret this as trouble, which will be used to excuse themselves from behaving.

If this is how they behave before they are in, I dread to think how they will behave when/if they are in and how it will affect everyone else.

The whole thing is just madness in my opinion. Turkey will undermine everything because she is Muslim !!

In my view, the leading lights of the current Turkish regime are lying when they come out in speeches and proclaim their support for EU accession. I am not sure if there was a degree of sincerity to such claims prior to about 2005, but I cannot now believe that this is their true goal. There are simply advantages to be gained in keeping up the pretence for as long as this is possible and expedient. So I would beg to differ from your statement that "Turkey is actually trying to access the EU ..."; the current regime in Turkey is Islamist and has the destruction of the secular republic as its goal. Just my opinion.