Comments on: Why Turkey Should Not Join the EU

By: Cem

Cem — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:13:40 +0000

Hello.

I’m a 17 years old Turkish citizen from Ankara. From what I’ve read so far from all around the internet , I guess that European people who debate here are somewhat tricked by some kind of stereotypes. Let me clear out a few things ; Turkish Republic doesn’t have a religion , as it’s stated in the Turkish Constitution. Turkey is one of the most secular countries in the world. Myself , I don’t believe in any religion , I’ve been living in the capital for all my life and didn’t suffer a single thing because of it. I don’t know how it seems from the outside , but as a person who has visited lots of European countries ; Turkey also has no less social respectability than the rest of the Europe. Today , Turkish Government consists of the main right , Islamic wing. Again myself , I’m not a supporter of today’s government and also half of Turkey. There isn’t dictatorship in Turkey and the government will keep changing.
Secondly , let’s talk about the Cyprus issue. “Turkey can’t join the EU since it doesn’t recognise a member state and also has invaded it !” some people say. Let me ask you a simple question. Think of an empire which ruled that island for over 500 years , stationed it’s citizens there , then when it starts to collapse , some other country invades it , treats the old empire’s population bad , does massacares , what would you do ?
Lastly , I’d like to talk about the human rights issue. Today , because of the misleading of the current government , journalists , authors and many more are inside , just because they oppose the government policy. Also , violance against women is unignorable. But this situation isn’t permanent in Turkey. Turkish Constitution is one of the most libertarian and humanitarian ones in the world. Somehow , this problem will be solved in at most a few years , I guess. And also remember , Turkey gave the voting and electing right to women way before many European countries , including France.

By: Jan

Jan — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:19:09 +0000

Turkey should not join the EU at all because there is no benefit whatsoever towards Turkey other than lifting visa requirements to visit Europe. As for economy gain, there’s no such gain because once Turkey joined, it will be used to the ground because it looks as if Turkey is so desperate to do and give anything the EU demand like being held on a rope. They will never see Turkey as one of them or equal because regardless to them it will always be a Muslim country. Turkey should just maintain business relations rather than being one of them. For economy gain, there are many ways for Turkey to have a stronger economy or bring more businesses into it’s contry. Turkey do not have weak currency, or going into crisis like Greece or any of the European countries.
If Turkey is able to change, why it NEEDS to join EU in order to change? Why have your country to be run by someone else or constantly having people to tell you what to do to be one of them. Turkey do not need EU, it is the other way round! Why sell yourself short? In the process of joining EU, Turkey has proof itself to the WORLD not just EU that it is not like any of the Muslim country. It is a democratic country and everyone has the right to vote including women. Being able to NOT run it’s country using religion, unlike some countries, I think that says alot about Turkey. It has full credit of being a country that sets full example to the rest of the world. I hope your government is able to re-consider this decision.

By: Eric G

Eric G — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:09:13 +0000

Turkey shouldn’t join because Turkey isn’t a traditional Euro country.

Turkey is doing GREAT on it’s own and should always be independent.

Turkey will soon economically eclipse the upper tier euro nations.

By: Malissa Cox

Malissa Cox — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:03:36 +0000

I agree. Obama definetly does not need to be poking his nose in European choices.

By: Hughes

Hughes — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:05:20 +0000

Well, Muraqeb is correct for some point.

Firstly, the main problem remains religion and human right. Non Muslim are still second zone citizens. If you have another belief, you can not serve the state as a teacher, as a civil servant. Your religion is printed in civil statement, ID Card. This is a real problem. Also, Police and authority looks like the Spanish Guardia civil from the seventies, kind of Midnight Express.

Secondly, Refusal of Turkey was highly motivated by economical reason rather than politics. Turkey has a huge and successful competitive agriculture due to low labor cost. Most parts of the country is rural. Poland had the same structure in the past. European agricultural subsidies have been largely given to the benefits of Poland and therefore reduced the part of France. If Turkey joins the EU, it will drain most of the subsidies. This is the raison why France and Poland made a fierce opposition to Turkey.

Last, if Turkey joins the Union, it will become the political leader in Europe regarding to the size of its population. In the present european architecture, seats are given in proportion of population.

But good news, Turkey’s economy is booming. Maybe opinion will change…

By: ailin

ailin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:21:15 +0000

Turkey is not europe it is asia minor ASIA, so go to hell obama.
I’m sick of liberalist fools intent on destroying their own culture, a culture that isnt always free and just, but is the best humanity has at the moment.
To any of you liberalists who want to dispute this, how do you think you will feel when you by your own hands or tongues i should say have ushered in a muslim majority in europe by admitting turkey, and how will you feel when christians, and other infidels in europe (pagan, hindu, buddhist, jewish etc) are the targets of brutal sectarian attacks, (look at coptic christians in egypt, or in sudan).
When your sisters are raped, and are then stoned for adultery under sharia law as opposed to recieving counselling or support, or when you find that your best friend is gay and are forced to watch him hang for something he could not control, or god forbid you steal something and you lose a hand for it.
Our terrible but less terrible system in europe isnt perfect, but its is a hell of a lot better than sharia law, and i swear to god, i would die to protect this shit system of ours, and to preserve our relatively egalitarian society from these damn neo naz’s
If anyone wants to dispute the intent of islam, then read the koran first i did and id advise you to preferably read the last bits, thatswhere the gory details are written.
PEACE to all mankind, unless they should disagree.

By: muraqeb

muraqeb — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:28:22 +0000

More than 80 years ago Atatürk tried to modernize Islam and make the Turkish people secular. Unfortunately he FAILED! In 1996 the Turkish people voted for Erbakan (he was OPENLY Islamist and preacher of Sharia) but the Army(the true defender of Secularity, or used to be) forced him to resign because he wanted to build SHARIA-STATE in Turkey and make it another Iran(unfortunately the Turks approved him on this). After that, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came and he is WINING the elections since 2002. It is clear that Erdoğan is Islamist (he was imprisoned many times for CHALLENGING the Secular authorities and his FAMOUS speech: You can be either Muslim or Secular because they are INCOMPATIBLE). In early 2002 he wanted to CRIMINALIZE sex without marriage but that law could not pass (opposed by the Republican People’s Party which is a SECULAR party unlike Erdoğan’s party). Long story short, this guy(Erdoğan) has an Islamic history who insisted many times that he will bring Turkey to CORRECT ROAD OF ALLAH(the Islamic God)although, he was chosen by the Turkish people and this means one thing: THE TURKS WANT ISLAM AND NOT SECULARISM!
So Europe should be ALARMED.

By: david

david — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:05:53 +0000

We are looking at the modern peaceful integrated Europe where the borders are fast becoming history.

Some people can not stomach another of the world’s main religion becoming part of the European culture and changing people’s ways of lives.

I will appeal to you to stop discriminating against Turkey because of their religion.

It is inevitable that Turkey will sooner or later become part of EU and I suggest the way forward is to embrace the changes positively……..

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:08:44 +0000

Well I must say GDP is calculated based on the “Nations” economic output not its living standart or its people happiness and you can not tell whether one organization is falling apart by simply looking at its GDP. Bhutan has low GDP yet their population are as happy as a rat with gold tooth. And you are implying that France are disciminating against muslims, but let me ask you, are Americans do not? Human can not stop itself from the act of discrimination since we are animals that always fight each other to survive. And I think that EU’s drop in GDP came from the US economic failure, wasn’t it? The EU central bank even have to “DONATED” several millions of Euros to liquidfy the US economy. So I think that the one who requires help shouldn’t be in the economic leading role anytime soon.

By: SGT. DELA

SGT. DELA — Mon, 24 May 2010 09:16:14 +0000

If Turkey is admitted into the EU then any action to stop the take over of Islam will be extremely hampered. France will not be able to discriminate against Islam in any way or their oppressive culture. EU is already collapsing as its GDP has dropped several trillion in just one year (and you speak of the US being in bad shape) and may even fall below that of the US in the coming years (thats one country having a higher GDP than 30 European countries, almost all of which are considered developed countries).
IF Turkey is allowed into the fold European secularism would be a thing of the past.