Euro's, please opine, opposition to Turkey Joining EU?

[Stand_watie]

Rather than suggesting that I have any idea whether it is a good or bad thing, I'll say that I read an article just now saying that Angie Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy both oppose Turkey's current bid to join the EU.

My question is what is their objection, and more importantly, what is the opinion of our board members?

If you object to Turkey being part of the EU, what change could Turkey make that would make you feel differently?

[Laurent du Var]

Where to start ?

Let me state some reasons for Turky staying out of
the European union :
 - They are not in Europe geographically, only a tiny part is, and if  we would allow them to join we would have to accept Russia as well.
 - They are economically way below the standards required to join the EU.
 - They are politically unstable : Look at the presidential election there at the moment, whatever the Turkish gouverment does is running the risk of the Military's interference, it is the generals pulling the strings more often than not.
 - They are not able to overcome their problems with the Kurdish population which interferes as well with the war in Iraq.
 - For more than thirty years we've been used now to millions (maybe roughly 8 millions) of turkish immigrants coming into central Europe mostly to Germany. So we know them well and while they are for the better part hard and honest workers there was little assimilation or integration on their part. They mostly send money home to Turky and tend to blindly marry their children to the
people back home so they can take their turn to become the future immigrants.
 - While Turky has become the first secular muslim country under the doing of the great Attaturk most of the Turkish living outside
the capital Istanbul tend to live very traditionnally.
 - They are still not recognizing their genocide against the Armenians which is kind of silly 95 years later.
   
Now to be fair I should state reasons for them to join the EU :

- They do a real great Kebap.

[The Rabbi]

And most important, their lower wage rates and less regulation will mean massive export of jobs from France and Germany.

One of the most interesting ideas I saw floated was to welcome Turkey into NAFTA.  We really don't care where they are geographically.

[Laurent du Var]

And most important, their lower wage rates and less regulation will mean massive export of jobs from France and Germany.

You mean if we allowed Turkey in the EU  we later could send back
the Turkish immigrants from France and Germany so they can profit from their lower wage rates and less regulation in Turky ? Is this what you do with Mexico ? Do tell, how is that working out for you ?Maybe we should reconsider then ? 

One of the most interesting ideas I saw floated was to welcome Turkey into NAFTA.  We really don't care where they are geographically.

You would just have to change the name into NATFTA 

But you're right it would be a most interesting idea. If the US can be in a Trading agreement with Mexico then it surely could put up with Turky as well.  The EU in the long run was meant to become more than an  economical union but I could see an advantage having the NAFTA next to Europe. Why not.

[roo_ster]

North and Atlantic Free Trade Association

I always thought that the UK (Eng, Scot, Wales, NI) and now Ireland ought to be part of NAFTA. 

[The Rabbi]

Screw the U.K.  Bunch of left-wing socialists have ruined that country.
Ireland finally got it.  After decades of exporting not much besides Irishmen, someone over there got smart and realized that high tax rates and high levels of regulation just don't create wealth.  The result has been an incredible resurgence of economic activity by well-educated English-speaking Irish.
And if we include Turkey and Ireland, I'd vote for Estonia and Slovenia as well.

[Perd Hapley]

As long as we're expanding NAFTA, don't forget China, Japan, Australia...

And since Joos control the world anyway, why isn't Israel already included?   

[Manedwolf]

Screw the U.K.  Bunch of left-wing socialists have ruined that country.
Ireland finally got it.  After decades of exporting not much besides Irishmen, someone over there got smart and realized that high tax rates and high levels of regulation just don't create wealth.  The result has been an incredible resurgence of economic activity by well-educated English-speaking Irish.
And if we include Turkey and Ireland, I'd vote for Estonia and Slovenia as well.

Ireland has been doing lots of high-tech stuff, yes. There's LOTS of software developers there now, and biotech and medical product development as well.

[The Rabbi]

As long as we're expanding NAFTA, don't forget China, Japan, Australia...

And since Joos control the world anyway, why isn't Israel already included?   

China, Japan, Australia, and Israel are all high-tax, high regulation socialist (or communist) states.  We want free-market states like Singapore or Slovenia.

[Laurent du Var]

China, Japan, Australia, and Israel are all high-tax, high regulation socialist (or communist) states.  We want free-market states like Singapore or Slovenia.
[/quote]

No, no, no - we keep Slovenia and if it was just for Laibach !

[De Selby]

I think getting Turkey into the EU is a US strategy-puts a more reliable friend in the system than we'd otherwise have.


More NAFTA partners? I'm all for it....Singapore...coolest little city on the planet!