Turkey - breaking news

[OldLeftie]

Just 2 days after we were all told by Cameron that there was no chance of Turkey joining the EU my Yahoo feed tells me that talks on Turkey's membership are scheduled to start on 30th June.

They kept that one quiet.

What else is going to happen as soon as the referendum result is in?

[Mistigri]

Oh FFS. Formal negotiations re the accession of Turkey began in 2005!

That's 11 years ago, and so far one "chapter" of 35 has been agreed. The agreed chapter was on the neutral subject of science and research and was agreed in 2006. Turkey has made no progress towards accession in a decade. At this rate it will accede in about 2355.

[bacimamma]

yawn

[NotCitrus]

There's been 'talks' for 30 years! Several other countries have started talks and met the 30+ criteria and been admitted in under 15 years - Turkey have hardly got off the starting line and even if they met the requirements, all EU current states have a veto - even one country against means it won't join.

[claig]

OldLeftie, you are spot on.I dread to think what the bankers have got planned for us. That's why I am voting out, to stop their game.

[BarbarianMum]

Oh claig you've found a friend! So happy for you, all that conspiracy must get very lonely sometimes.

[BeakyMinder]

What a load of bollocks.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Worrying.

[Toofondofcake]

I agree OP.
Also for everyone saying oh it won't happen for decades etc the point is that it most likely will happen sling with the other candidate countries and it will affect us in our lifetime and our children's lifetimes.

Immigration is a great thing that helps us a lot but not in an uncontrolled and unfair way. We need to have the same entry criteria for the whole world so that we get a fair mix of skills and cultures in our country.
Also lets stop smearing leave voters as racists it's derogatory and untrue.

[Toofondofcake]

**sling should be along with.

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

Oh phew, it's not-news news and not the prelude-to-war news that I thought it would be from the dramatic thread title.

[onwego]

Talks first began for Turkey's accession to the EU in the 1970s. A series of association agreements were made in 1974 when it was thought that Turkey was on the way to membership. One of the reasons it hasn't joined is because of Turkey's appalling human rights record during the 1980s and 1990s - extra judicial killings, torture and imprisonment of Kurds and political activists. Now left wing academics, lawyers and this week I read, a prominent Doctor are being targeted (on top of the human rights abuses taking place in the south east of the country). I think it's highly unlikely that the human rights conditions will be met, and even more unlikely that the President, Tayip Erdogan will implement changes which will result in it happening in the near future. Over the last 10 years, Turkey has become a very powerful player in the Middle East and has turned away from focusing on Europe. However, Turkey's membership is being discussed again now because the EU want Turkey to take responsibility for Syrian refugees and obviously need to give something back in return - which looks like visa free travel in the Schengen zone for Turkish nationals but not EU membership. As the U.K is not in the Schengen area, Turkish nationals will still need a visa to enter the UK.

I doubt I said anything there that people didn't know already, but it seems important to re-state in light of the referendum tomorrow as I think it's easy to get pulled into this fear of 80 million Turkish nationals entering Europe.

[BeakyMinder]

The UK has a veto on Turkey or anyone else joining. Its our decision to make. And many other EU countries don't want Turkey to join either.

[CoteDAzur]

FFS are people really this clueless? "Breaking news", is it?

[pseudonymity]

What is the problem with Turkey?

[STIDW]

EU leaders agreed to reopen talks with Turkey on its EU membership back in Oct/Nov last year. Opening or reopening talks isn’t the same as closing them though. There is a long way to go before Turkey qualifies for membership, if ever. Before joining a country must meet the EU criteria on democracy, rights & the rule of law, things Turkey is moving backwards on.