The issue of Turkey’s admission into the EU has again reared its contentious head, this time over comments made by Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, who spoke out in support of Turkish membership. This seemingly innocuous statement apparently provoked France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy to cancel an official visit to Sweden.
Giving just a few days’ notice, Sarkozy pulled out of a planned meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, according to The Local. The official excuse given by the French government was that Sarkozy had overbooked his schedule. However, an unnamed French minister told the French daily Le Monde that the snub was in response to an interview Bildt gave with Le Figaro.
Both sides deflected the heart of the issue, saying it was just a scheduling problem. Roberta Alenius, a spokeswoman for Fredrik Reinfeldt, told the AFP, “Turkey has nothing to do with this.” But she was quick to point out that the difference in opinion between France and Sweden concerning Turkish entry into the EU was “already known.”
Sweden will assume the rotating presidency of the EU on 1 July. Sweden is officially in favour of Turkish membership in the EU, while France is decidedly against it. Sarkozy even made his opposition to Turkey a key issue in campaigning for the European parliamentary elections scheduled for 7 June.
But Alenius downplayed the postponement of the meeting, saying the talks between Sarkozy and Reinfeldt were focused only on Sweden’s priorities during its term as EU president, the economic recession, and each country’s position on climate change in preparation for the December climate summit in Copenhagen.
Gus,
It is true that it was a big mistake to allow so many uneducated people into the country and not having a plan how to integrate them (if this is possible at all).
I can give you another example from my time in primary school (this was back in the 1970-ies).
Like I said, when I was in the third year the first islamic (turkish) children appeared on our school.
Unlike the yugoslavian and colombian kid who had been placed in a class with dutch children (the best thing to do in my opinion) the turkish children were treated in a completely different manner.
A special class room was opened for them, brand new, with much better facilities.
They were put in this seperate class and did not receive ANY education in dutch. In stead of this there were dutch (!!) teachers who had learned turkish and started teaching them in turkish!
Already as children we realized that this was plain stupidity: these kids did not learn proper turkish (since their teachers were not native speakers) and no dutch as well.
Moreover there was virtually no contact between them and us (this lack of contact was even encouraged by our missguided teachers).
What would become of them? They live in the Netherlands but do not speak dutch and even at their own native language they are bad.
They will never be able to find a proper job in Holland and also they will be unable to return to Turkey since their knowledge of turkish is very limited as well.
It is a tragic fate: they have become neither dutch nor turkish, just some seperate identity inbetween.
The very bizarre thing: the dutch government spent billions on this ‘great system of education’ creating only unhappy individuals who will have no future, neither in western Europe nor in Turkey.
We really had a crazy goberment at that time.
At the moment new emigrants who want to come here need to do an exam in their own country and only after passing it they will receve permission to immigrate.
WELL, A CAMPAIGN IS NEEDED TO EDUCATE THOSE PEOPLE. EACH COUNTRY CAN PUT CERTAIN RULES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE EU SHOULD HAVE A GOOD PROGRAM OF IMMIGRATION IN WHICH ONE PERSON SHOULD PASS CERTAIN EXAMS AND GET CERTAIN TRAINING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN DEMOCRACY.
I WOULD NOT GRANT ANY PERMIT OF RESIDENCE TO ANYONE COMING FROM EU WITHOUT FULFILLING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE FAILED IN HOW WE HAVE INTEGRATED IMMIGRANTS IN OUR SOCIETIES. IT IS MAINLY OUR FAULT, FOR NOT HAVING AN EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL PLAN FOR THIS PEOPLE, AND FOR NOT REQUIRING FROM THEM THAT THEY COMPROMISE TO RESPECT THE RIGHTS AND LAW IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
YOU KNOW, AS I SAY, EVERYTHING IS FINE FOR ME UNTIL THE MESS UP WITH ME. PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE WHATEVER THEY WANT, PRACTICE MASOQUISM, EAT ****, BELIEVE THAT MAHOMA CAME FROM JUPITER, BUDHA WAS A GIRL ETC… BUT LET EVERYONE ELSE LIVE THEIR LIFES AS THEY WANT… AND IN THAT SENSE THE DUCTH ARE ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED SOCIETIES IN THE WORLD… THE SAD THING IS THAT SUCH FREEDOM IS TURNING AGAINST DUTCHS THEMSELVES AS MANY DON´T KNOW HOW TO RESPECTS OTHERS LIVES…
Gus,
You are speaking very good words and I wish the world would be like this (it would be a much better place then)…but unfortunately such tolerance only comes from educated western people and NOT from the islamic side.
They do not think like this at all.
I will tell you something from my own experience, just a thing I experienced myself, which is the reason that I am not happy with islam in Europe, even though I am a tolerant and non-nationalistic person myself.
When I was in primary school there were only dutch children in my class, with 2 exceptions: 1 kid from Yugoslavia and one from Colombia. We had no problems with them at all and just treated them like equals. We found them interesting because they told stories about countries that were far away and exotic to us but just regarded them as compatriots.
This was a (protestant) christian school but I did not have any troubles too, even though I am half jewish.
In history class we were taught about nazism, the second world war and the holocaust and the teachers made it clear to us how terrible this had been. It made a big impression on us and we took part in the traditional commemoration of the victims of the war which takes place the 4th of may every year.
But when I was in the third year the first islamic children came to school and just one year after I left the majority of children on this school was islamic.
At this point the atmosphere in history class changed COMPLETELY when nazism was the subject.
Teachers were horrified to notice that islamic kids were laughing loudly when they described the persecution of jews by the nazi’s . It became clear that they actually ADMIRED Hitler because he had killed so many jews.
Hissing sounds were made when teachers spoke about the concentration camps (immitating the sound of gas) and when teachers tried to make it clear how disgusting their behaviour was these kids responded with anger, insults and even threats!
At that time it was not yet possible to criticize immigrants (these were the glory days of political correctness) but some teachers privately spoke out their disgust and frustration in our neighbourhood.
The 4th of may islamic kids often tried to disturb the commemoration (for instance by making noise during the traditional ‘5 minutes of silence’) , sometimes even playing football with the flowers that were put on war memorials.
Really dutch are a tolerant people but the fact that a person like Wilders is so succesful in politics right now does have a reason.
In all fairness I must say that this rotten behaviour is more typical of arab kids than of turks.
no Jorge, he reflects very well how we are. Great Country, huh ? The world leader for spreading a FALSE image of itself abroad.
I grew up in a european Turkey , YES NIELS, BUT OPEN YOUR EYES… IF YOU GO TO AUSTRALIA YOU WILL FIND AN AUSTRALIAN EUROPE, OR IN USA YOU WONT FIND A MAJORITY OF NATIVE AMERICANS, BUT A LARGE POPULATION OF EUROPEANS OF ORIGIN… EUROPEANS HAVE GONE AND INVADED ALL OVER THE WORLD, FROM GREENLAND TO NEW ZEALAND, FROM CHILE TO AFRICA… PEOPLE OF EUROPEAN ORIGIN IS PRESENT IN LARGE SCALES IN ALL THE CONTINENTS.. THAT IS INVASION… AND THE EUROPEANS DID NOT ARRIVED THERE AND ADOPTED THE WAY OF LIFE OF THOSE LANDS… THEY WENT THERE AND IMPOSED THEIR CULTURE AND EXTERMINATED AND ENSLAVED THE CULTURE AND POPULATION OF THOSE PLACES…
TODAY SUCH PHENOMENA IS REVERSING… BECAUSE OF OUR DEPREDATORY ATTITUDE, WE HAVE CREATED A WORLD IN WICH THOSE NATIONS HAVE BEEN USED TO SATISFY OUR ECONOMIES, WE HAVE NOT PERMITTED THOSE COUNTRIES TO DEVELOP PROPERLY AND AT THE END ALL THAT IS WORKING AGAINST US…
AS I SAID IN MY COMMENT EUROPEANS HAVE A LOT TO LEARN, WE ARE NOT ANYMORE THE CENTER OF THE WORLD… AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT HUMANITY HAVE A COMMON AND SHARED FUTURE …
AND WE BETTER START BELIEVING THAT INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS MIGHT SOMEHOW WORK, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY HOPE WE HAVE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A FUTURE WORLD WHERE THEY ARE SECURE AND THEIR NEEDS FULFILLED… IT IS EASIER TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE WITH OTHERS THAN TO TRY TO CHANGE THEM TO SOMETHING THAT IS EASIER FOR US TO ACCEPT.. BUT WHAT ABOUT US? ARE WE READY TO CHANGE AS WELL SO WE CAN FIT THE EXPECTATIONS OTHER HAVE ON US??
GENTLEMEN, LETS DO SOMETHING MORE CREATIVE AND SMART WITH OUR MINDS…
TERRY WHAT IS YOUR POINT?
I HAVE A VERY SOLID IDENTITY, A VERY RICH ONE THANKS TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN LIFE. I HAVE A GLOBAL IDENTITY WITH AN OPEN MINDED SET, RATHER THAN A JUST LOCAL IDENTITY WITH A CLOSE MINDED VISION OF THE WORLD ( WHICH HAPPENS TO BE VERY GENERAL IN ICELAND, AND STILL THE AVERAGE MENTALITY OF NORDIC COUNTRIES. I HAVE EXPLAINED MANY TIMES THAT SUCH IS DUE TO THE LOW LEVEL OF CULTURAL INTERACTION SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES HAVE HAD WITH OTHER HUMAN CULTURAL GROUPS. BUT WHEN I GET TO MEET SOMEONE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING ABROAD, THEN YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE DIFFERENCE, I HAVE MET ICELANDERS THAT HAVE BEEN STUDYING AND LIVING ABROAD AND THEY THEMSELVES SAY THEY HAVE TOTALLY CHANGE THEIR VISION OF OTHER PEOPLE AND CULTURES, THEY ARE MORE OPEN, TOLERANT, FLEXIBLE, CULTURALLY ENRICHED AND CAPABLE OF MORE CIVILIZED THINKING AND BEHAVIOR…
WHAT IS YOUR BEHAVIOR LIKE TERRY?
GET OUT OF YOUR CAVE, THE NEARTHENTAL DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE, WE ARE HERE HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS… BEHAVE… TRAVEL, BROADEN YOUR COMPREHENSION OF THE WORLD, YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LIFE… THERE ARE BILLIONS OF HUMAN BEINGS OUT THERE THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME JUST THE SAME AS YOU ARE.. WELCOME TO THE GLOBALIZED WORLD, ONE QUESTION, HOW CAN YOU HAVE SUCH A MINDSET IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET AND A BASTE KNOWLEDGE? IN WICH WORLD DO YOU LIVE? WHO ARE YOU ? ISN´T YOU WHO PRESENTS A REAL DISASSOCIATION OF PERSONALITY EACH TIME YOU TURN ON YOUR COMPUTER??
YOU SEE, THAT IS THE MAIN PROBLEM OF ICELANDIC SOCIETY, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET BUT CLOSE THEIR EYES TO THE REALITY BECAUSE THEY DON´T WANT TO CHANGE, AND THEY ARE SCARED, SO THEY GO BACK TO LIVE ON THE VIKING IDENTITY STUFF, BUT MY FRIEND, VIKINGS AS A CULTURE AND PEOPLE EXISTED 1000 YEARS AGO…
I HAVE MANY LAPTOPS, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT EACH TIME I USE A DIFFERENT ONE IT APPEARS THE NAME I USED FIRST FOR THE IP OF THAT LAPTOP.
BUT I THINK NO ONE HAVE ANY PROBLEMS RECOGNIZING WHO I AM. I HAVE ALSO MYSELF EXPLAINED THOSE NAMES THAT I HAVE BEEN USING HERE. NOT LIKE OTHERS THAT POST COMMENTS USING NAMES THEY DON´T RECOGNIZE AS THEIRS. I AM TOTALLY HONEST AND DON´T HAVE ANY NEED OF HIDING THAT IS ME BEHIND THOSE NAMES. SIR EURO, GUS, THE NEXT PRESIDENT…
USING THOSE THREE NICKS I ALWAYS APPEAR AS THE SAME PERSON.
YOU CONFUSE D.I.D. WITH THE USE OF DIFFERENT NICKS…
CHEAP…
@Jorge,
It’s not every day that you see a Prime Minister standing to attention!
>This is what I have seen around me from my earliest youth. Multiculturalism does not work.
Yes Niels, multiculturalism in the UK may be of regret.
Multi-racial is no problem – but France is correct – live in France – accept France identity and values.
> Geographically, Turkey is not Europe
Geographically, a part of Turkey is in Europe and a part is in Asia. It’s the same for Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_country#Asia_and_Europe
I do not know where to place this post exactly but, I do put it here: a capital scandal!!
Main Spanish newspaper, EL PAÍS, left wing, has made public the censured thing per Italian Premier, Mr. Berlusconi: have a look at the true democracy, the power of the media, and the corrupt chaste!
What is the media? Media is to open the corruption!!
Headline:
The “innocents” photos of Berlusconi. ( Global exclusive )
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Berlusconi/califica/inocentes/fotos/fiestas/publicadas/PAIS/elpepuint/20090605elpepuint_14/Tes .
Censured photographies:
http://www.elpais.com/fotogaleria/imagenes/censuradas/Berlusconi/6527-1/elpgal/ .
Ex-Czech prime minister – Topolanek – reacts to the publication in El PAÍS of the photos of the Berlusconi celebrations. He confirms his presence.
What Il Cavaliere does not want that Italia sees!
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/escandalo/fotos/privadas/sacude/campana/Berlusconi/elpepuint/20090531elpepiint_3/Tes .
Main conservative newspaper, EL MUNDO, Spain:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/06/05/internacional/1244220016.html .
Main monarchic newspaper, ABC, Spain:
http://www.abc.es/20090605/internacional-europa/berlusconi-dice-fotos-fiestas-200906051146.html .
Italy, great country, does not deserve this Prime minister !!!
I grew up in a european Turkey (as Balkansson calls it and he is right about this), a western european town district with a large turkish population.
It was no fun at all.
I am not saying that western culture is superior to turkish culture, but just that these are different worlds that will never meet.
Most turks will not adapt to western cultural values and most westerners will not accept them.
This is what I have seen around me from my earliest youth. Multiculturalism does not work.
All I learned was some turkish swearing and the fact that turkish sweets are much better than dutch sweets.
The present turkish government which has a hidden agenda of islamization (going against the will of a large part of turkish society) does not help too: it resists attempts to integrate turks living in western Europe.
“Democracy is only a train we are using untill we have reached our destination. The mosques are our army barracks, the minarets our bajonets, the domes are our helmets and the believers are our soldiers”
(quote by turkish prime minister Erdogan)
About Turkish subject:
Geographically, Turkey is not Europe; politically, Turkey is not Europe; culturally, Turkey is not Europe. And, although we would close the eyes -geographically, politically and culturally-, never we will be able to close the eyes, democratically; and Turkey, today, is not a D-e-m-o-c-r-a-c-y.
We can not forget the reality: problems with Armenia (enemy), problems with Russia (enemy), problems with Syria (enemy), problems with Greece, a NATO country (enemy), border of Iraq, and the most scandalous thing, border of Iran. We can not forget Kurdistan problem.
Turkey, the turkish population, alarms to Germany and France, and in next years, it will scare more. Germany and France will not allow it, and, Turkey will not become an EU member: this situation would destabilize parliamentary, budgetary and geostrategic policies.
Why should Turkey be an EU member? I repeat, WHY? And, Georgia and Armenia? Georgia and Armenia are more European countries than Turkey. Even I would say: these countries are Europe! Culturally, these countries are Europe.
Sorry, never I will accept an european Turkey and, Armenia and Georgia outside.
Moldavia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia are Europe: welcome!
@Alexander,
“Have Russia applied to join EU?”
Yes, and the EU has said: YES!! So, the wolf – Russia – can eat each beautiful sheep!! HAHAHAHAHA !!!!!
Ditto Romania (give or take), so that’s not a real problem.
Just looking at burning flags, you’d even get in trouble in both France and Germany.
I suspect (but don’t know) that Jose was referring to the rise of religion as a political force in Turkey when he said, “But nowadays there are in fact news that are not encouraging in terms of they coming closer to us.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/sunday_am/6052808.stm
>ICELANDERS JUST DON´T REALIZE IT. BUT FOR A GUY LIKE ME, BEING A SWISS OF JEWISH BACKGROUND, HAVING A SPANISH FATHER, GROWN UP IN A GERMAN SCHOOL IN A EUROPEAN COLONY IN AFRICA, AND LIVED IN USA AND NOW ICELAND
That may explain the D.I.D.. President.Sir..Gus..Linda..is there an Ambrose? ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_identity_disorder
In 2007, the European Commission President said “Turkey’s a long term problem. It’s a long term issue. We cannot expect Turkey to become a member let’s say in less than fifteen, twenty years.” So, Sweden should accept the reality and forget about Turkey.
Remember that current Turkish law states “a person who publicly insults the Turkish nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, or the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and two years.”
Actually, EU membership suppresses tolerance and diversity by homogenising national differences. The EU is the political equivalent of an ecophagy, such as molecular nanotechnology’s “grey goo” scenario.
is there any Turkish diversity problem in Germany due to the fact Turkey IS NOT EU member?
What does diversity have to do with EU membership? I’m sure there are people from Africa and Latin America in your area, vikingisson. Should their respective countries join the EU also?
ALEXANDER: “It’s not about “borderline racism” as you called it. I just can not imagine Germany and Turkey as Union – political, economical or cultural”
DON’T WORRY ALEXANDER, WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR INTELLECTUAL CAPABILITIES, SO IT DOES NOT SURPRISE ANYONE HERE THAT YOU ARE RUNNING SHORT OF IMAGINATION, OR UNDERSTANDING…
JUST TRY SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
– START BY UNDERSTANDING THAT HUMANITY IS SPREAD ALL OVER THE WORLD. THEN, RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A BASTE VARIETY OF PEOPLES AND CULTURES ( THERE ARE MORE THAN 50.000 THOUSAND LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS IN THIS PLANET), UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE NO RACES, BUT HUMAN GROUPS THAT SHARE CHARACTERISTICS WITH NEIGHBORING GROUPS ( THAT CAN BE PHYSICAL OR CULTURAL)…
-THEN TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE GROUP YOUR RECOGNIZE AS THE ONE YOU BELONG TO ( BECAUSE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY) PRESENTS A GREAT DIVERSITY AS WELL ( GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, POLITICAL IDEAS, SOCIAL-ECONOMIC STATUS, DISABILITIES, AGE, ETC…)
-EVERY HUMAN BEING IS DIFFERENT, THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA MATCH WHAT AND WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOU LOOK LIKE ( LET ME KNOW IF THEY ARE MANY SO I CAN OPEN A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TO ADULTS )
YOU PROBLEM IS THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CORE CONCEPT OF TOLERANCE, CO-EXISTENCE, MUTUAL ENRICHMENT, AND ANYTHING ELSE…
JUST SOME DECADES AGO, A GERMANIZED AUSTRIAN GUY WITH NO SENSE OF HUMOR HAD THIS AMAZING IDEA: EVERYONE HAVE TO BE PERFECT. AND HE STARTED KILLING IN MASS PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, THEIR RELIGION, CULTURAL VALUES, BECAUSE OF HAVING A DISABILITY, ETC… HE DESIGNED THE KILLING OF NEARLY 14.000.000 PEOPLE, SOME OF THEM ( EXACTLY 35 PERSONS) WHERE CLOSE MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY.
I AM JEWISH, AND WE DON´T CARE ABOUT WHO IS AROUND AS LONG AS THEY LET US IN PEACE, AND WE ARE PRETTY TOLERANT EVEN WHEN WE ARE FANATICS ABOUT OUR RELIGIOUS WAY OF LIFE. MUSLIMS IN GENERAL HAVE DIFFICULTIES IN ADAPTING TO THE EUROPEAN CULTURE, BUT EUROPEANS ( AS MUCH AS OPEN AS THEY THINK WE ARE) ARE NOT ANY BETTER IN TOLERANCE… EUROPEANS ARE FULL OF PREJUDICES AND IGNORANCE, THANKS GOD THAT IS CHANGING… SOME YEARS AGO YOU COULD GO TO A FRENCH BEACH CAMPING AND SEE THE DUTCH IN ONE PLACE, THE GERMANS CLOSE TO THEM AND SO ON, BUT THEY WOULD NOT MIX OR COMMUNICATE UNLESS IT WAS STRICTLY NECESSARY ( LIKE WHEN WAITING FOR THE PUBLIC SHOWER AND SUCH…) IF EUROPEANS, WHO ARE VERY COSMOPOLITE, HAVE STILL TO DEAL WITH PREJUDICES PROBLEMS, JUST GO AND FIGURE IN WHICH SITUATION ICELANDERS ARE STILL TODAY…
ICELANDERS JUST DON´T REALIZE IT. BUT FOR A GUY LIKE ME, BEING A SWISS OF JEWISH BACKGROUND, HAVING A SPANISH FATHER, GROWN UP IN A GERMAN SCHOOL IN A EUROPEAN COLONY IN AFRICA, AND LIVED IN USA AND NOW ICELAND… LET ME TELL YOU, I SEE THE DIFFERENCE…
WHY NOT LET TURKEY BE PART OF THE EU? ARE WE JUST FOLLOWING OUR PREJUDICES? THEY ARE MUSLIMS, AND WHAT IF THEY ARE? I AM JEWISH AND IT IS TOTALLY OKEY FOR ME, THEY ARE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, AS I AM… THEY ARE ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF DEMOCRACY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. TURKEY IN THE EU IS GOOD, SPECIALLY FOR ISRAEL, BECAUSE IT WOULD BRING MORE STABILITY TO THE AREA…
Bacon double cheeseburger as part of value meal makes more sense than turkey as part of euromeal…
I wonder if we would see Turkish DNA if it would be more European now mixed with Middle Eastern? I bet the Mongolian/Asiatic blood of the Turks has been filtered out with all the people they conquered? I’m sure that’s why Ataturk said you are Turkish if you speak Turkish and live the lifestyle as well as live in the Turkish boarders. They knew that eventually these people will accept their true blood isn’t Turkish and that would just make the country crumble. The whole western coast (Asia Minor) looks like they’re Greek mixed with Bulgarian, Serbian, etc… The further East you go they look more Middle Eastern or Asian with a slight slant in the eyes. It’s very clear what Turkey is if you know history.
I think we need to review the treaty that didn’t allow Greece to go into Constantinople. When the Greeks got back Asia Minor they then went to get their rightful Constantinople. Then the powers that be pushed them out. Why? Because that would give Greece control of the waters and that would mess up the whole divide and conquer plan. Plus the Turks took 1 million Greek children and transformed them into Turkish soldiers during the occupation. I wonder how many children they took from Serbia, Albania, Romania, Armenia. So with review of the fairness of the treaty even though it was signed (I mean slavery was legal when it was happening) by Greece because it needed to do something to get rid of the Mongolian Turks who mixed with middle easterners and Europeans. And when we review it and see it was not right we can give back Asia Minor and Constantinople to the Greeks which then can be excepted into the EU.
Iceland as part of Canada makes more sense than Turkey as part of the EU.
Why would it be a problem? There is diversity even in Germany. I don’t see Turkey imposing things on other countries. But I’m sure they would be less tolerant of my culture in their land but so what, I’m not going there.
I currently live in a highly multi cultural city and see extreme diversity every day and it doesn’t bother me. The area mosques aren’t allowed to blast Friday prayers over the outside loudspeakers unless they are out in the country side for example.
However it is these shaky economic times that cause more problems with that diversity and that is simply perception and subtle racism. I have more trouble with my pretentious anglo neighbours than any wider cultural issues.
> Have Russia applied to join EU?
No, but it’s already in Continental Europe…
2 vikingisson
It’s not about “borderline racism” as you called it. I just can not imagine Germany and Turkey as Union – political, economical or cultural.
PS. But I’m aware of why Germany always gives 12 points to Turkey during Eurovision ;-)
Shouldn’t membership be decided on individual merits and not some arbitrary line at the Bosforus or wherever people want to put their virtual fences? Or by what the church to mosque ratio is?
Balkanization is such a pointless exercise. One world, many peoples. On the other hand I don’t have much of an opinion whether they are admitted or not.
As for Canada, sure, I’d vote for an CanaIce union… Before the crash I was jokingly calling for Canada to join Iceland but now I’d say that Canada has the upper hand so the headquarters should be in Canada, perhaps Manitoba nearby the lost tribes of West Icelanders. :)
What it says on the marquee or what marque we attach isn’t important. Borderline racism is perhaps more dangerous than old school hatred.
Have Russia applied to join EU?
Simply go to Germany, Sweden and Holland and you will see the European Turkey. I hope Russia will never be part of the nonsense called EU.
If Russia is in Eurovision, then Turkey is in Europe.
There are a lot of mosques built in Sweden. How many Swedish churches are built in Turkey?
If Turkey is Europe – then Iceland should join Canada immediately. It least western part of island.