An antique beer mug presented to French President Jacques Chirac as an EU going-away present has drawn criticism from EU-hopeful Turkey for reportedly depicting an 18th century Ottoman defeat by the French.They got the century wrong?
"The European Union should concern itself with the future rather than the past," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül told reporters when asked about the mug. "If the EU has a future vision, it should look to the future," he said. "Harping on the past does not befit the EU vision."
Yeah, but those Star Trek mugs are cheap and tacky.
Turkish newspapers said that the mug depicted Napoleon's 1799 victory over Ottoman forces in Egypt and reflected hostility towards Turkey.
A nice depiction of Trafalgar probably wouldn't have made it Jacque's favorite souvenir. And I can't see the Prussians giving him a mug depicting Austerlitz. It was probably the Turks, by default.
It was given to Chirac as a retirement gift by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at celebrations of the EU's 50th anniversary over the weekend. Merkel is opposed to full membership for Turkey and has instead advocated a special partnership with the sizeable mainly Muslim country.I'm not privy to Merkel's innermost thoughts and preferences, but that could be because it's the European Union, and Turkey's mostly in Asia Minor. Guatamala and Bhutan are both ineligible for membership for much the same reasons, though if everybody's all friendly and everything no doubt they can have some sort of special partnership, too.