Cyprus-Forum.com

[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 !!

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.

I cant disagree entirely Tim, but she does want to join the EU, just without qualification. So then, she is just plundering the EU's harmonization funds then goes and signs a memorandums of understanding with the shanghai 'five'.

Turkey is not a European country. It is an Islamic, Asiatic country with a different culture, ideology, principles and values to the other members in the block. it would never work but some politicians, both inside the EU and Turkey are keeping up this pretense by trying to arrange a forced acceptance and marriage.

Cyprus is a petri dish, of things to potentially come if this actually comes to pass..

[Tim Drayton]

[...] she does want to join the EU [...]

A lot of people in Turkey have that aspiration, yes, but if you mean the current regime, well, we will just have to agree to differ on that.

[Maximus]

[...] she does want to join the EU [...]

A lot of people in Turkey have that aspiration, yes, but if you mean the current regime, well, we will just have to agree to differ on that.

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the bloc.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

[supporttheunderdog]

[...] she does want to join the EU [...]

A lot of people in Turkey have that aspiration, yes, but if you mean the current regime, well, we will just have to agree to differ on that.

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the block
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

Erdo is playing games. They need EU money and access to EU markets for the Cheopo things they make. End of EU application and I am sure that the money will not flow so well and the trade will be cut back.

[bill cobbett]

Yes, the Accession Process has become the end game... drag it out indefinitely... as we have seen with the Occupation.

[Oceanside50]

[...] she does want to join the EU [...]

A lot of people in Turkey have that aspiration, yes, but if you mean the current regime, well, we will just have to agree to differ on that.

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the block
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

Erdo is playing games. They need EU money and access to EU markets for the Cheopo things they make. End of EU application and I am sure that the money will not flow so well and the trade will be cut back.

And the less money the more Islamic they become

[Tim Drayton]

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the bloc.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

In my view, there are two questionable premises here:

1- Erdoğan is an honest, sincere person who has no hidden agenda and, thus, all of his public pronouncements can be accepted unquestionably at face value, and
2- 'Today's Zaman' is a source of objective, unbiased information about Turkey whose proprietor has no specific political agenda behind the stories that it promotes.

I accept either of the above, so we are never going to come to agreement, I am afraid.

[Maximus]

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the bloc.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

In my view, there are two questionable premises here:

1- Erdoğan is an honest, sincere person who has no hidden agenda and, thus, all of his public pronouncements can be accepted unquestionably at face value, and
2- 'Today's Zaman' is a source of objective, unbiased information about Turkey whose proprietor has no specific political agenda behind the stories that it promotes.

I accept either of the above, so we are never going to come to agreement, I am afraid.

1. Erdogan is not an honest or sincere person and he does have a hidden agenda.
2. Todays zaman is garbage.

We do agree!

[kurupetos]

[...] she does want to join the EU [...]

A lot of people in Turkey have that aspiration, yes, but if you mean the current regime, well, we will just have to agree to differ on that.

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the block
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

Erdo is playing games. They need EU money and access to EU markets for the Cheopo things they make. End of EU application and I am sure that the money will not flow so well and the trade will be cut back.

I agree. Accession of Turkey to the EU will also increase recession in the EU, including unemployment, not to mention the incompatibility of the Turkish culture to European values.

I wonder if there is a single EU country, which really wants Turkey in the EU.

[B25]

[...] she does want to join the EU [...]

A lot of people in Turkey have that aspiration, yes, but if you mean the current regime, well, we will just have to agree to differ on that.

look at this Tim,

Erdoğan has urged the European Union to revive its founding fathers' courageous path and express determination for Turkey's inclusion in the block
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314923- ... ey-in.html

Erdo is playing games. They need EU money and access to EU markets for the Cheopo things they make. End of EU application and I am sure that the money will not flow so well and the trade will be cut back.

I agree. Accession of Turkey to the EU will also increase recession in the EU, including unemployment, not to mention the incompatibility of the Turkish culture to European values.

I wonder if there is a single EU country, which really wants Turkey in the EU.

yes there is, it is called UK.