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| Europe | |||
| Chirac: Turkey Entry Into EU Not Desired | |||
| 2004-04-29 | |||
| French President Jacques Chirac said Thursday that Turkey's entry into the European Union, which is set to expand to 25 members this week, is not "desirable" now but could be in the future. Chirac, speaking at his first full-fledged news conference in six years, said Turkey had not yet met the conditions for entry into the EU. He pointed to concern about issues ranging from human rights to judicial reform. "The destiny of Turkey has always been deeply linked to Europe," Chirac said. "Turkey has made considerable efforts," but has a way to go, he said.
Chirac's comments came weeks after Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told parliament that France would oppose Turkey's entry into the EU now because it had not met the criteria for entry. The European Commission in November noted "significant progress" by the Turkish government in meeting EU conditions for membership. However, it cited several areas where more needed to be done. Predominantly Muslim Turkey has carried out sweeping reforms in the last two years as it tries to meet EU standards. It abolished the death penalty and has granted greater cultural rights to long-oppressed Kurds. The EU is set to expand from 15 to 25 members on Saturday, and EU leaders are scheduled to decide in December whether to approve Turkey's candidacy.
Turkey could start membership talks in 2005.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #13 Screwed the pooch. |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-04-29 10:55:59 PM |
| #12 Not too surprised about this: EU membership would mean significantly eased rights to enter, live and work in all EU countries, including France. They're not all that happy about all the foreign 'guest workers' -- especially muslim ones... Possibly to appease the anti-immigration cliques, although they seem not to be all that concerned by their suburban muslim hellholes outside the Paris 'ring road'... But on the other hand -- who gives a shit what the French think about anything, anyway? |
| Posted by: BK 2004-04-29 10:52:32 PM |
| #11 schadenfreude Mike K - Just in case there were others who were lexiconically challenged like me |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-04-29 6:56:25 PM |
| #10 ...I love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning...it smells like victory. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-04-29 6:37:19 PM |
| #9 What a bunch of Turkeys. |
| Posted by: B 2004-04-29 4:33:47 PM |
| #8 Oh - no no-no-mon ami Ze Turks are smellier zan we are. Oui? We must be ze smelliest members of ze EU! |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-04-29 4:21:36 PM |
| #7 You mean that French IOU that Turkey's holding is completely worthless? Mais non! |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-04-29 2:28:42 PM |
| #6 Agreed, RKB. Turkey's treachery was huge, arguably worse and more damaging than that of France. |
| Posted by: docob 2004-04-29 12:07:15 PM |
| #5 Yes, I'm afraid Turkey will find that the US has been (and could have been) a much better friend than the EU will ever be. In the meanwhile, I look at the deaths in the Sunni triangle and know we could have had that area cleaned up a long time ago if we had come in from the north as planned. It makes me angry, not only for our deaths, but for the Iraqis whose stability and prosperity is being delayed. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-04-29 11:12:21 AM |
| #4 Chirac, speaking at his first full-fledged news conference in six years, ... Wow, and the press gave guff to GWB for only having his third? |
| Posted by: penguin 2004-04-29 10:36:28 AM |
| #3 However, it cited several areas where more needed to be done. If the EU elites are determined not to allow Turkey to become an EU member, there will always be a need to "do more". Keep that in mind next year. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-29 10:24:56 AM |
| #2 heh heh...smells like schadenfreude in my cubicle, Murat |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-04-29 9:59:23 AM |
| #1 snicker..and just think of all the money you could have had from the US, Turkey, if you hadn't stabbed us in the back before we could give it to you. |
| Posted by: B 2004-04-29 9:49:04 AM |