Miliband in Turkey STRONGLY Supporting Turkey’s Bid to Join the Union
Allowing Turkey to accede to the European Union will change the nature of Europe forever. If we value our Judeo-Christian heritage, we will NOT allow Turkey into the Union under any circumstances.

For some inexplicable reason, the British government and the Foreign Office are determined to support Turkey’s bid to join, regardless of public opinion, and regardless of the fact that many, many people are against such a destructive move.

In my view, Turkey should not be admiited into Europe, but at very least, we should never allow Turkey to join without first consulting with the people in the form of a referendum. Allowing Turkey in will change Europe’s destiny forever: It will Islamize the whole continent, and in a very short time. It will be life-changing for us all.

It is therefore wrong for politicians, who are, after all, only elected for relatively short periods of time, to make decisions on behalf of the people which will force us all to accept drastic and permanent changes long after those politicians will be out of office. - ©Mark

TODAY’S ZAMAN: While reaffirming London's support of Turkey's bid to join the European Union, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday expressed once again his government's concern over an ongoing closure case against Turkey's ruling party.

Miliband's strongly worded statements came at a joint press conference here following a meeting with Turkish counterpart Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. Miliband is part of the delegation accompanying Queen Elizabeth II, who is on a landmark visit to the EU candidate country 37 years after her previous visit.

"We adhere to the very strong principle that governments are chosen by the people and not chosen by lawyers," Miliband said in response to a question, while also underlining that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was re-elected last year.

Even as he praised reforms the Turkish government had carried out in its bid to join the EU, Miliband refused to speculate on what might happen to Turkey-EU relations if the AK Party was indeed closed down.

Late in March, Turkey's Constitutional Court decided to hear a closure case opened against the ruling party on charges of its having become a "focal point for anti-secular activities," leading the EU candidate country to an ongoing political crisis.

Miliband was the first foreign minister to visit Turkey in September of last year after the conclusion of a lengthy election process there. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan formed his new Cabinet after a sweeping victory in the July 22 elections, and former Foreign Minister and current President Abdullah Gül was then elected president. Miliband also said yesterday that proposals that fell short of full membership for Turkey were not an alternative.

"We want to be allies of Turkey inside the European Union and not just proponents of a better dialogue between the European Union and Turkey," he said, in apparent reference to the French and Austrian governments' reluctance to back full membership for Turkey.

Britain has been a vocal supporter of eventual Turkish EU membership, with Miliband describing the queen's visit as "a symbol of the deepening relationship" between the two countries. Miliband: People Choose Government, Not Lawyers >>> May 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
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A Seemingly Less Than Happy Monarch: A Visit to a 15th Century Turkish Mosque
Photo of the Queen in Bursa, Turkey, visiting a mosque. The Islamic headscarf is most unbecoming for the Queen. She should stick to her pretty hats. Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail
One has to ask why the British government and Foreign Office have to subject Her Majesty to this indignity. On this trip, the Queen has had to sit through quranic recitations, the lot. Do we make members of the Turkish government sit through a Christian service in St Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey when they come on a state visit to Britain? I think we all know the answer to that! - ©Mark

Watch video: The Queen Visits 15th Century Turkish Mosque >>>
BBC:
In Pictures: The Queen’s Visit to Turkey >>>

BBC:
The Queen as Puppet to the Foreign Office! The Foreign Office Wants Turkey in Europe; but the People Don’t! Where Do We Go from Here? >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Turkey's Headscarf Legislation: The Negative Impact on EU Accession
THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE: In February 2008, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) passed two constitutional amendments that intend to lift the ban on Islamic headscarves on college campuses. Although it is still unclear how the legislation will be implemented, the new laws are likely to have a negative impact on how the European Union sees Turkey.

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan states that the amendments protect individual and religious freedom -- two rights that are guaranteed under the EU's common legislative body. However, as the controversy surrounding the issue continues, the legal ambiguity created by the case could alienate Europe, making Turkey's EU accession bid even more difficult.

The Headscarf in Turkey and the EU

In Turkey, wearing the traditional headscarf, or basortusu, has never been the real issue; it is the Islamic headscarf, or turban -- a contemporary garment that emerged in Egypt in the 1980s, and is tied firmly to cover all of the hair and neck -- which is at the center of the debate. Turkey officially banned the turban from universities in 1982 to signal politically that the country was not taking the route of Ayatollah Khomeinei's Iran, where all females are required to cover. This move reinforced Turkey's secular nature at a time when several popular leaders were using the headscarf issue as a form of political protest.

The legal status and debate over the headscarf in the EU is of a different nature. Attitudes toward the headscarf in part depend on the historical presence of Muslim students within the educational system. Countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, where the majority of Muslim immigrants arrived in the 1960s and are now host to second and third generation European-born Muslims, all have had to deal with this issue. Others, such as Italy and Spain, will face it in the near future, since Muslim immigration reached these countries much later than in northern Europe.

In France, new legislation was passed in 2004 regarding the principle of secularism in schools, banning symbols or clothes ostensibly manifesting religious beliefs. The Islamic headscarf, the Jewish skullcap, and Christian crosses of excessive size are prohibited in primary and secondary schools. However, headscarves are not banned from university or college campuses.

In Germany, several regional governments have banned teachers from wearing headscarves since 2003, while continuing to allow the display of Christian and Jewish symbols. Despite this legislation, when particular cases have been brought in front of the Federal Constitutional Court, individuals have been granted the right to wear the headscarf because the Court established that the unequal treatment of religiously motivated clothing was not in accordance with the Federal Constitution.

In the rest of the EU, there is no headscarf ban, and individual schools generally have the right to establish their own dress codes. With some exceptions, most schools in the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Austria, and the Belgium's Flemish-speaking communities allow the headscarf.

Impact on Turkey's EU Membership

The AKP's constitutional amendments will most likely provide further arguments for German and French opposition to Turkish accession into the EU. Although there are differences among EU member states regarding the headscarf, France and Germany -- currently the only two states with legal headscarf bans -- are also the most influential EU members opposed to Turkey's accession, with France making a public case to this end. Turkey's Headscarf Legislation: The Negative Impact on EU Accession >>> By Antonia Ruiz Jimenez | May 5, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)