Turkey Shows Interest in Reviving EU Bid

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Turkey is showing renewed interest in reviving its stalled bid to join the European Union, now that Nicolas Sarkozy, one of its key opponents, is no longer in charge of France is no longer the president of France.

Turkey began its EU accession negotiations in 2005 but made little progress in its candidacy, thanks to a dispute with EU-member Cyprus and opposition from French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Turkey's membership. Sarkozy argued that the predominantly Muslim country is not a part of Europe and wanted Turkey to accept some kind of a special partnership with the EU instead of full membership – an offer Turkey rejected.

Now that Socialist Francois Hollande has replaced Mr Sarkozy as France's president, Turkey hopes he will be more sympathetic to the candidacy of a country that has one of the world's fastest growing economies and is becoming a regional diplomatic player.

"With the coming to power of Mr Francois Hollande, we are all hoping that a new course in the Turkish-EU relations will gain momentum," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said this week, during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Little is known about Mr Hollande's stand regarding Turkey's EU membership, apart from a comment he made on France-2 television on April 12 during his campaign for the presidency. During it, he said France has long accepted the principle of Turkish accession to the EU but that major conditions have not been met and that may not happen for several years to come.

On Thursday, Turkey and the EU are to open talks aimed at bringing Turkey's membership bid back on track, and the Turkish government announced this week that its Parliament will soon vote on a series of draft laws designed to help advance its bid. » | Source: AP | Wednesday, May 16, 2012

William Hague Snubs Tory Right Over EU Membership Referendum Demands

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign secretary says 'our place is in the European Union' and describes coalition government as 'wonderfully refreshing'

William Hague has cast off his reputation as the darling of the Tory right by describing governing with the Liberal Democrats as "wonderfully refreshing". He also rules out a referendum on UK membership of the EU.

The comments by the foreign secretary, in an interview with the Observer, will dismay the many Conservative MPs who resent the Lib Dems' moderating influence on government policy, particularly on relations with Europe, and want their party to champion a more rightwing agenda.

As the Tories gather for their annual conference in Manchester, amid calls from rightwingers for David Cameron to give less ground to their coalition partners, Hague says this administration is working better than the last Tory government in which he served.

"When you sit with David Cameron and Nick Clegg and other senior colleagues examining an issue, it is a wonderfully refreshing, rational discussion, actually, in which you know your party identity is not the first consideration," he says. "The government has a more united spirit than the last government I served in at the end of 18 years of Conservative government."

Hague, formerly a hardline Eurosceptic, insists he has not changed his opinions on the EU, or come under the spell of the pro-EU Foreign Office culture. He still believes the EU has too much power and has never veered from his view that the euro would be a disaster.

But in a sign that life in government has had a profound influence, he also freely points out that in his time as foreign secretary he has seen evidence of the 27-nation bloc operating as a powerful, collective force for good in the world. As a result, he does not believe it would ever be in the UK's interest to think of leaving. Asked if the government might grant a referendum on UK membership of the EU, he says "no", arguing one would be called only to approve or reject further transfers of sovereignty: "Our place is in the European Union." » | Toby Helm and Andrew Rawnsley | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Coming closer to home, Turkey is "a rapidly growing player and one of the countries that I work with the most". If "you add up who I make the most phone calls to" the foreign minister of Turkey is up there with Hillary Clinton. Hague "very much" wants to see Turkey become a member of the European Union, an ambition strongly opposed by some other member states.

Many in his own party will have a cardiac infarction if that means large numbers of Turkish migrant workers arriving in Britain. Hague acknowledges "people have to be won over", but remains emphatic. "I wouldn't be put off by freedom of movement because I think it is a strategic neccesity and economically beneficial to bring Turkey into the EU. Turning away Turkey from the EU would be a great, long-term – a century-long – error by Europe." – Source: The Observer

WikiLeaks Cables: Pope Wanted Muslim Turkey Kept Out of EU
THE GUARDIAN: Vatican diplomats also lobbied against Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and wanted 'Christian roots' enshrined in EU constitution

A WikiLeaks cable reports that Pope Benedict XVI, seen here being received by Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara in 2006, 'might prefer to see Turkey develop a special relationship short of EU membership'. Photograph: The Guardian
The pope is responsible for the Vatican's growing hostility towards Turkey joining the EU, previously secret cables sent from the US embassy to the Holy See in Rome claim.

In 2004 Cardinal Ratzinger, the future pope, spoke out against letting a Muslim state join, although at the time the Vatican was formally neutral on the question.

The Vatican's acting foreign minister, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, responded by telling US diplomats that Ratzinger's comments were his own rather than the official Vatican position.

The cable released by WikiLeaks shows that Ratzinger was the leading voice behind the Holy See's unsuccessful drive to secure a reference to Europe's "Christian roots" in the EU constitution. The US diplomat noted that Ratzinger "clearly understands that allowing a Muslim country into the EU would further weaken his case for Europe's Christian foundations". >>> Heather Brooke and Andrew Brown | Friday, December 2010

Ankara Turns Away as EU Ambitions Fade
TIMES ONLINE: Turkey is growing impatient with being cold-shouldered by the European Union, and resistance to its bid for membership is stoking Ankara’s ambition to turn towards the Muslim world.

President Gül said that the EU and its leaders stood at an historic crossroads and had to decide whether or not to welcome Turkey in.

“They are at a point where they need to decide whether the Union is a closed entity, whether the current borders of the EU will define it for eternity, or whether it should plan 50 years ahead and think of its grandchildren, the future,” he told The Times and other European newspapers in his hillside palace.

The President, who hails from the Islamist AK (Justice and Development) party, voiced frustration with the near-freeze in Turkey’s accession talks with the EU, which opened in 2005. He was scathing over what he said was the EU’s use of the dispute over Turkish northern Cyprus to stall discussions with Brussels. Turkey, the only country to recognise northern Cyprus as a state, could not accept northern Cypriots being treated “like criminals, murderers and money-launderers”, he said.

He was also critical of the outright opposition voiced by President Sarkozy of France to Turkish membership and the coolness received from Chancellor Merkel of Germany. Mr Sarkozy’s argument, shared less openly by many other continental politicians, is that the EU’s frontier must never extend into Asia Minor. >>> Charles Bremner in Ankara | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Merkels Besuch bei Erdogan: Lächeln ohne Lust
Erdogan, Merkel: Zu echten Konzessionen war keiner bereit. Bild: Spiegel Online
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Harmonie sieht anders aus. Kanzlerin Merkel hat den türkischen Premier Erdogan in Ankara getroffen - und am Ende galt es schon als Erfolg, dass die beiden ihren offenen Streit nicht eskalieren ließen. Vor den Kameras versuchten sie, die immensen Probleme wegzulächeln. Vergeblich.

Reisen bildet. Selbst die weltgewandte Kanzlerin hat das mal wieder erfahren.

"Ich habe jetzt verstanden, dass die 'privilegierte Partnerschaft' in der Türkei keine gute Konnotation hat", sagt Angela Merkel. Diese Alternative zur Vollmitgliedschaft in der Europäische Union wird zwar von CDU und CSU gemocht - aber nicht in dem Land, für das sie gedacht ist.

An der Seite des türkischen Premiers Recep Tayyip Erdogan bekräftigt Merkel daher am Montagnachmittag, die Bundesregierung stehe weiter zum "ergebnisoffenen Prozess" der Beitrittsverhandlungen. Sie lächelt freundlich, während sie das sagt. Es könnte eine Konzession an die türkischen Gastgeber sein. Doch die weiteren Aussagen der Kanzlerin sind weniger entgegenkommend.

Damit die Verhandlungen weiterlaufen könnten, müsse die Türkei erst mal verabredungsgemäß ihre Häfen für das verfeindete EU-Mitglied Zypern öffnen, fordert sie. Die weiteren Hürden, die die EU auf Betreiben der Beitrittsgegner aufbaut, benennt Merkel erst gar nicht. Denn bis auf weiteres verweigert die Union den Türken komplett die Verhandlungen über 7 der 35 Beitrittskapitel - egal wie regelkonform sie sich gegenüber den Zyprer zeigen.

Ein Lächeln hier, eine Freundlichkeit da, aber in der Sache gibt es derzeit zwischen Merkel und Erdogan wenig Übereinstimmung. Beiden Spitzenpolitikern war zwar anzumerken, dass sie nach dem Kampf der Worte der vergangenen Tage ein bisschen abrüsten wollten. Zu echten Zugeständnissen war aber keiner bereit.

Merkel ging darauf ein, dass sie sich gegenüber Erdogans Forderung nach mehr türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland skeptisch gezeigt hatte. Sie sagte, es gehe ihr keineswegs um eine "Assimilation" der türkischen Minderheit in Deutschland - fügte aber gleich spitz hinzu, das dürfe "keine Ausrede für Türken sein, Deutsch zu lernen". Als ob ausgerechnet potentielle türkische Gymnasiasten zur Gruppe der Sprachverweigerer zählen würden.

Auch in Sachen Iran blieb Distanz zwischen den Gesprächspartnern. Merkel warb für Sanktionen: "Ich würde mich freuen, wenn Amerikaner und Europäer eines Tages über Sanktionen im Uno-Sicherheitsrat abstimmen könnten", sagte sie. Erdogan, dessen Land im Gegensatz zu Deutschland derzeit in dem Gremium sitzt, hielt dagegen: "Sanktionen sind keine richtige Lösung."

Erfolgreich war der gemeinsame Auftritt vor allem in einer Hinsicht - es gab keine weitere Eskalation der öffentlichen Attacken aus den vergangenen Tagen. Unverständnis für die "privilegierte Partnerschaft" >>> Von Ralf Beste und Daniel Steinvorth, Ankara | Montag, 29. März 2010

Turkey Knocks: Will EU Let It In?
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Turkey's desire to join the European Union has the virtue of being consistent. It was in 1987 that the country first applied to accede to the EU, and it has been knocking on the door ever since.

The fault lines that have become apparent, both within the euro zone and the broader EU grouping, have done nothing to quell Turkey's enthusiasm for joining the club. The chance to export some more of its jobless may be one of the attractions: Last year, the country's unemployment rate rose to 14%, up three percentage points on the previous year, against an EU average of 9.5%. Yet it isn't clear that the work would be there for Turks keen to take advantage of the freedom of movement that EU membership confers.

And there is a price to EU membership. Today the U.K.-based lobby group Open Europe releases figures showing that EU legislation puts a heavy burden on member states. It calculates that, since 1998, EU regulations have cost the U.K. £124 billion ($185 billion). The truth is probably not quite so stark. Many of the regulations would have been implemented by national governments whether or not the EU had imposed them. Compliance, however, is costly. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking the opportunity of Angela Merkel's visit to his country to try once more to push Turkey's case for full membership.

He is wasting his time. The German chancellor, having stood her ground so staunchly over bailing out Greece, isn't about to do a U-turn on this matter. She knows that, if her countryfolk were livid at the prospect of their cash being used to bail out profligate Greece, they would be positively incandescent were she to soften her stance on Turkey. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France would face a similar uprising of anger.

The reason isn't Turkey's long-running squabble over Cyprus, although its refusal to open its ports and airspace to EU member Cyprus provides useful tactical cover for those opposed to full EU membership for Turkey. Neither is it the need for Turkey to speed up its political reforms. It is Turkey's overwhelming embrace of Islam which is the real, but unspoken, issue. With a population of 72.5 million, Turkey would be second only to Germany in scale if it were to join the EU. Although the government of the country is secular, estimates put the proportion of the population which is Muslim at around 99%. Although religion is not the driving force it once was in large parts of Europe, there is a widespread belief that including an overwhelmingly Muslim country in the club would drastically change its character. >>> Patience Wheatcroft | Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Dutch MPs Cancel Turkey Visit Over Wilders Ban
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Dutch members of parliament have cancelled a scheduled visit to Turkey after the Turkish government refused to meet with the delegation if anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders was part of it.

When the matter was put to a vote in Dutch parliament on Wednesday, all parties opted to cancel the visit, which was scheduled for January, even though Turkish members of parliament and local social organisations had said they would meet with the delegation regardless.

"This was a unanimous decision. We deeply regret the fact that this will make an effective dialogue impossible, but if the Turkish government refuses to meet with us, the most essential parts of our schedule will not be able to go ahead," Harm Evert Waalkens, leader of the parliamentary delegation, said on Wednesday. One of the main reasons for the visit was Turkey's accession to the European Union.

A representative of the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs called the Dutch parliament's decision "unilateral."

"We have made our point clear," the spokesperson said. "We have not forbidden Wilders to visit, but we are unwilling to roll out the red carpet for him since the media attention he will garner by coming to Turkey will overshadow all other members of the delegation. But we are not praising God for the fact that he will not be coming. We will evaluate the decision of the Dutch parliament." >>> By Handelsblad’s news staff | Thursday, December 03, 2009

Angela Merkel Win Ends Turkey's EU Hopes
THE TELEGRAPH: Turkish hopes of joining the EU appeared to be all but over after Germany gave warning it was ready to join France and Italy in outright opposition to the country's membership.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Free Democrats (FDP) are both hostile to the accession of the overwhelmingly Muslim country of 71 million.

The CDU is against the Turks joining for cultural reasons while the FDP leader, and probable new foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle has said the country's economy is too far below European standards to integrate comfortably with other members. With almost three million ethnic Turks living in Germany, many as citizens, Germany also fears there would be a flood of immigrants after Turkish accession.

Chancellor Angela Merkell has warned her Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that Germany foreign policy was under review. An EU meeting to review the Turkish role in the unification of Cyprus in December will represent the first test of the policy.

The Turkish reaction to the German election result has been open dismay. The country's liberal broadsheet Milliyet summed up the mood in Ankara's political circles. It said: "Turkey is the loser".

The mass-market Aksam told Turks to be braced for a change in approach from Europe's biggest country. It said: "We should expect Merkel to sharpen her opposition to Turkey's membership." >>> Damien McElroy in Berlin | Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Turkey Tries to Revive EU Membership Bid
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Despite the slow progress, Turkey is reminding Brussels that it is still very much intent on joining the European Union.

For once, the topic is not democracy, human rights or gas pipelines. Turkish diplomats are in Brussels since Tuesday to discuss tax reform with the European Commission. If Turkey wants to join the European Union one day, it will also have to adapt its tax system to the European rules.

But the most important message coming out of Brussels and Ankara is that negotiations, which began in 2005 after Turkey was officially recognised as a candidate for membership in 1999, are in fact still ongoing.

Very slowly Turkey is edging closer to EU membership, despite the fact that French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel have said they don't want Turkey to join, and despite the fact that many extreme-right parties did well in the European parliament elections in June by campaigning against Turkish membership.

With the elections out of the way, the Turkish government found it necessary to remind the EU countries that it is still intent on joining the EU as promised. Last week, Turkey sent its prime minister and its foreign and European affairs ministers to Brussels to repeat this loudly - much louder than is customary among EU officials and Turkish diplomats.

During a breakfast meeting with journalists, prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called those European politicians opposing Turkish membership "narrow-minded" and "populist". It was "wrong", he said, to use Turkey as a campaign tool. Erdogan: "We will never give up. We do our homework and we're making progress." >>> Petra de Koning in Brussels | Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Turkey to 'Never Give Up' EU Bid
BBC: Turkey has urged France and Germany to back its bid to join the EU, rejecting calls for a special partnership rather than full membership.

"We will never give up," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Brussels.

Turkey's EU accession talks are going at a glacial pace and risk suspension if Ankara fails to open its ports and airports to Cyprus this year.

France and Germany want to give Turkey a "privileged partnership" with the EU.

But Mr Erdogan insisted "our goal is full membership".

He also said it was "populist and wrong" to use Turkey's bid as an election issue.

Some right-wing parties opposed to Turkey's bid made gains in the recent European Parliament elections. >>> | Friday, June 26, 2009

Rehn Says Turkey Has "Plenty of Works" [sic] to Do in EU Accession
HÜRRIYET: WASHINGTON - Turkey must speed up long-delayed reforms to keep its bid to join the European Union on track amid fatigue over expanding membership of the 27-nation bloc, the EU's enlargement chief said on Thursday.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said there was "plenty of work" for Turkey to do on issues such as freedom of expression and the media, as well as trade union rights, if it wanted entry into the bloc.

"Turkey needs to seriously resume reforms enhancing fundamental freedoms," Rehn told Reuters in an interview in Washington, where he was meeting U.S. State Department and World Bank officials to discuss a range of issues, including Turkey.

He said Turkey must adopt a law on trade unions respecting the standards of international labor organizations -- a demand made for the past three years.

"It was last promised in January and then by April and we have not seen it. Therefore we cannot open a chapter (negotiations) on social policy in employment as there is no agreement," Rehn said.

In Turkey, skepticism about the EU and the belief it is unfairly hindering the majority Muslim but secular nation's accession talks have grown, with powerful conservative opponents having said they will resist attempts to change the constitution.

Opinion polls show many Turks feel the EU has cooled toward the country and that the bloc will not accept Turkey as a member state, even if Ankara meets all political and economic requirements for EU accession. >>> | Friday, June 05, 2009

Sarkozy Cancels a Visit to Sweden
STOCKHOLM NEWS: The French president Nicolas Sarkozy cancels a planed [sic] visit in [sic] Sweden. Officially the reason is that he has a tight schedule[,] but according to the newspaper Le Monde the real reason is that the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs[,] Carl Bildt[,] talked about the importance of a Turkish EU-membership in an interview in the newspaper Le Figaro. Sarkozy is opposing a [sic] Turkish membership. (Metro) [Source: Stockholm News] Saturday, May 30, 2009

Labour Reaffirms Support for Turkey's EU Membership, Day after BNP Opposition
Labour party underlines support for Turkish membership to EU, despite consistent opposition by rest of the European Union. Flags courtesy of The London Daily News
THE LONDON DAILY NEWS: The Labour Government's position on Turkeys membership to join the European Union was underlined yesterday with David Milliband the Foreign Secretary saying in Ankara:

"The U.K. remains strongly committed to this vision of Turkey becoming an equal member of the EU. We sent a loud message that it is an important time for imagination and confidence, not for hesitation and blame," Miliband said. "We know there is a long road to accession. Britain can talk about its own rocky road but it is important to drive forward in the face of challenges."

The British National Party which is consistently achieving over 20 per cent in polls on the London Daily News has campaigned consistently against the entrance of Turkey to the European Union with the party's leader on Sky News saying:

"If we could get three or four members of the European Parliament, the next few years will be crucial as to whether Turkey would join the European Union.

"Eighty million Muslims having the right to come here, it would be a disaster. We would like to be able to oppose that as well." >>> International News Desk | Thursday, May 28, 2009

Tory, Labour and Lib-Dem Treason: All Three Back Turkey’s Entry into the EU
Image courtesy of the BNP
BNP: Conservative Shadow minister Michael Gove has been exposed as the influential guiding hand behind propaganda attempts to get Turkey admitted to the European Union - a move, which if successful, will see Europe utterly swamped by Muslims.

Mr Gove, who is Tory Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and MP for Surrey Heath, is one of a cross party group of patrons of a new magazine called Turkey In Europe launched last week at a reception at the Houses of Parliament.

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News, the magazine was “launched on behalf of the patrons of Turkey in Europe who are Michael Gove MP, Dr Denis MacShane MP and Graham Watson MEP.”

Mr Macshane is from the Labour Party and Mr Watson is leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament.

The editor of the new magazine, Osman Streater, said that it “was established to bring international business together and to promote Turkish membership of the European Union,” according to Hurriyet. >>> BNP News | Thursday, May 21, 2009

Brussels Committed to Turkey's EU Membership
MONSTERS & CRITICS: Brussels - The European Commission, as well as the current and future presidencies of the European Union, on Tuesday reiterated their support for Turkey's entry into the EU, despite resistance in France and Germany.

'The European Commission is committed to the EU accession process of Turkey ... on the basis of the negotiating framework that was adopted by all (EU) member states and Turkey in October 2005,' said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn after talks in Brussels with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

While conceding that Turkey faces a long and difficult journey, Rehn stressed that Turkish membership 'is in the fundamental interest of the EU.'

Rehn's comments were echoed by the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, and by Sweden, its successor.

'We will continue to work on the programme that was laid out together by the French, Czech and Swedish presidencies,' said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who singled out peace talks in Cyprus as 'the single most important issue this year.'

The comments in Brussels came less than 10 days after the leaders of Germany and France both questioned the wisdom of allowing Turkey into the EU. >>> © Deutsche Press Agentur| Tuesday, May 19, 2009

REUTERS: Czechs Hope Turkey's EU Bid Will Progress Before July

BRUSSELS - The Czech EU presidency said on Tuesday it hoped to open at least one more negotiating area in Turkey's slow-moving EU entry bid by the end of its term on June 30.

Turkey, meanwhile, did not make clear whether it was linking the energy area of the negotiations -- which is currently being blocked by its rivalry with EU member Cyprus -- to signing a deal on a major pipeline project with the EU.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was asked after talks with EU officials in Brussels when Turkey expected to sign its commitment to the Nabucco pipeline project and what he expected from Europe in return.

He said Nabucco was a strategic project for Turkey and it would do all it could to see it realised.

A European Union with Turkey as a member would be in a much better position from the perspective of energy security. >>> Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Jon Hemming | Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Austrian Leader Slams Far-right's Anti-Israel Posters
EU BUSINESS: (VIENNA) - Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann condemned the far-right Freedom Party Sunday for using anti-Semitic rhetoric ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June.

In a new campaign ad published in the tabloid Kronen Zeitung on Sunday, the Freedom Party (FPOe) pasted in large red letters: "FPOe veto for Turkey and Israel in the EU."

While the party has long campaigned against Turkish accession to the 27-nation bloc, this was the first time it made mention of Israel. >>> | © EUBusiness | Monday, May 18, 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: FPÖ-Chef ist «Hassprediger und Schande»

Nach Provokationen von Rechtsextremisten und antisemitischen Inseraten muss sich FPÖ-Chef Strache für seine Kampagne vor der EU-Wahl rechtfertigen.

Der Präsident der jüdischen Kultusgemeinde, Ariel Muzicant nennt ihn einen «Hassprediger»: FPÖ-Chef Heinz-Christian Strache bei den Wahlen 2008. Bild dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Nachrichten der vergangenen Woche aus Österreich: In der Gedenkstätte eines Konzentrationslagers in Ebensee provozieren Jugendliche Besucher und Überlebende des Lagers mit Steinwürfen, gestreckten rechten Armen und «Heil Hitler»-Rufen. In Auschwitz werden Schüler einer österreichischen Schulklasse nach antisemitischen Provokationen nach Hause geschickt.

In Wien demonstrieren eine Bürgerinitiative und die Freiheitliche Partei, FPÖ, gegen den Bau eines islamischen Zentrums, die Organisatorin bedankt sich bei «Christen, die den Mut hatten, mit uns Nazis mitzugehen. Langsam empfinde ich das schon als Ehrentitel.» Und in der «Kronen Zeitung», dem grösstem Boulevardblatt, erscheint am Sonntag ein Inserat der FPÖ mit der Ankündigung eines Vetos gegen den «EU-Beitritt von Türkei & Israel», offensichtlich, um antisemitische Vorurteile zu schüren. Denn die Frage, ob Israel in die EU soll, war in Österreich bis jetzt kein Thema.

FPÖ–Chef ein «Hassprediger»

Am deutlichsten und schnellsten nahm der Präsident der jüdischen Kultusgemeinde, Ariel Muzicant, Stellung. In einem Interview machte er die Freiheitlichen für die jüngsten Vorfälle verantwortlich: Unter ihrem Vorsitzenden Heinz-Christian Strache bereite die FPÖ-Führung den Boden «für den Vormarsch des Rechtsextremismus systematisch und absichtlich vor». Tags darauf verurteilte auch Bundeskanzler Werner Faymann (SPÖ) das Inserat der FPÖ, weil es religiöse Gefühle verletze: Strache sei ein «Hassprediger» und «eine Schande». >>> Von Bernhard Odehnal, Wien | Dienstag, 19. Mai 2009

President Gul Slams EU States Opposed to Turkey's Accession Bid
HÜRRIYET: ISTANBUL - Efforts by some European countries to block Ankara's entry into the EU were "unacceptable," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said late on Sunday.

"There has been a unanimous decision (by the Europeans) to start negotiations with Turkey" on its accession to the European Union, Gul was quoted by AFP as telling reporters on the sidelines of an official trip to neighboring Syria.

"Any discussion on this is tantamount to violating the decisions taken by the EU and would mean that the decision to start negotiations with Turkey were not sincere, that the heads of state took a decision that did not reflect their intentions," he added.
"It would be unacceptable," Gul said, referring to France and Germany. >>> | Monday, May 18, 2009

German, French Leaders Emphasize Opposition to Turkey Joining EU
HÜRRIYET: ISTANBUL - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday reiterated their opposition to Turkey joining the EU as the two leaders geared up for next month's European Parliament elections.

Merkel, who has advocated having a vaguely defined partnership with Turkey, said at an event organized by her conservative Christian Democrats before the June 7 European Parliament vote that "we cannot take in everyone in Europe as a full member."

"We have to talk about the borders of this Europe," she was quoted by AP as saying. "It makes no sense if there are ever more members, and we can’t decide anything anymore," she added.

"It is right that we say to people in the European election campaign ... our common position is: a privileged partnership for Turkey, but no full membership," Merkel said.

Turkey began EU membership negotiations in 2005, but progress has since largely ground to a halt because of disagreements over the divided island of Cyprus and strong opposition in some member countries like France, Germany and Austria.

Neither country, however, has blocked the talks, and Germany's other main coalition party – the Social Democrats – supports EU membership for Turkey.

U.S. President Barack Obama has also urged the EU to embrace Turkey as a full member.

Sarkozy, a longtime opponent of Turkish membership, last week advocated discussing a common economic and security forum with Turkey as an alternative.

"When Angela Merkel says Europe must have borders, she is right – because a Europe without borders would be a Europe without a will, without identity, without values," he said at Sunday's event, where he was a guest of honor as France's leading conservative. >>> | Monday, May 11, 2009

Turkey Opposed to Danish Premier as NATO Chief
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey does not back Denmark's prime minister becoming NATO's next secretary-general, a senior Turkish lawmaker said Tuesday.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is seen as the front-runner to replace Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as NATO secretary-general when his term ends at the end of July.

Turkey, a NATO member, objects to Fogh Rasmussen because of the 2006 prophet cartoon crisis, his reported opposition to Turkey's EU membership and his stance on Kurdish rebels, said Suat Kiniklioglu, top foreign policy official in the prime minister's party.

"It is unacceptable that NATO be headed by an individual who has in the past rudely disrespected our values and religious beliefs," Kiniklioglu said in reference to Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked Muslim protests.

Fogh Rasmussen defended freedom of speech amid the protests. >>> The Associated Press | Tuesday, March 24, 2009

France Says Turkey Improves But Has More Things to Do on EU Bid
HÜRRIYET: French ambassador in Ankara said on Saturday that the European Commission's Turkey progress report gave the message that "Turkey was improving, but it could do more".

Meeting journalists at breakfast in the Aegean province of Izmir, French ambassador Bernard Emie said that Turkey and France had intense military, economic and cultural relations.

Noting that France was the second biggest investor in Turkey, Emie said the current trade volume between the two countries was nearly $20 billion.

Commenting on European Commission's latest progress report on Turkey, Emie said the report laid down various factors such as Turkey's improvement in terms of Copengahen criteria or implementation of new arrangements in the Turkish parliament.

The report should not be perceived negatively, Emie said, adding that it tried to say that Turkey could achieve more things.

Emie also said that the period between July 2009 and March 2010 would be "Turkey Season" in France. He said the French would gain a new approach towards Turkey thanks to the activities to be carried out in his country during those days. [Source: Hürriyet] November 8, 2008

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EU Tells Turkey to Improve Media, Women's Rights
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: BRUSSELS, Belgium: In a new report card, the European Commission will tell Turkey on Wednesday that it must work harder to improve women's rights and press freedoms in order to join the European Union.

In a speech at an EU-Turkey conference at the European Parliament on Tuesday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the report will list several areas that "need to be addressed urgently."

"I am thinking, for instance, of the negative atmosphere against the press, or bans of Web sites which are becoming a source of serious concern, (and) efforts are needed to protect women's rights and gender equality," said Rehn.

The report card is an eagerly awaited annual event for both proponents and opponents of Turkey's membership in the EU.

In Ankara, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, declined to comment on the report until his government has seen it.

The report — which also praises Turkey, according to Rehn — is unlikely to significantly affect the negotiations regarding Turkey's EU membership, which began in 2005 and are expected to last about a decade.

For instance, Turkey's entry negotiations cover 35 negotiating areas, including issues from human rights to many economic issues. To date, only eight issues are under negotiation, and the EU has accused Turkey of being too slow on others.

The report's criticism also will not surprise Turkey's population. >>> AP | November 4, 2008

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