Obama backs Turkey EU accession

[depakid]

Source: BBC


Mr Obama said Western nations should engage with the Muslim world.
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US President Barack Obama has arrived in Turkey on a two-day visit, after giving his support to Ankara's efforts to join the European Union. He said Turkey's accession to the EU would send an important signal to the Muslim world and firmly anchor the country in Europe.

But French President Nicolas Sarkozy said it was up to the EU itself to decide who joined the bloc. Correspondents say security is extremely tight for Mr Obama's visit. Snipers and riot police have been deployed and military aircraft are patrolling a no-fly zone over Ankara, AP news agency reported. Almost 9,000 police will be deployed for Mr Obama's visit to Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, which begins late on Monday. Several small groups have been holding anti-US demonstrations in both cities, the AP said.

The visit is Mr Obama's first to a majority Muslim country as president, and only his second purely bilateral visit after Canada. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Ankara says the fact that he chose to come to Turkey so early has been welcomed as a sign that he wants to re-engage with it.

Public support for the US dropped to a record low during the Bush administration, fuelled mostly by fierce opposition to the invasion of Iraq, she says.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984762.stm

[Thrill]

1. Interesting. I'm sure France and Germany didn't like that.

.I believe they've opposed Turkey joining the EU for a while. But it certainly will help President Obama with the Turkey Government.

[IndianaGreen]

2. This is an important visit to an important country

Obama's motorcade got plenty of friendly waves from small groups along a route from the international airport to the city centre lined with security personnel. A few people waved tiny Turkish flags. Bush got a mostly indifferent response from the public in visits to the Muslim world.

Turkey will not be the venue for Obama's promised major speech in a Muslim capital, but his April 5-7 trip will be a way to emphasize his message of reaching out to Muslims.

Obama will stress Washington's support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union despite opposition from some member states. Obama urged EU leaders in Prague earlier on Sunday to accept Turkey as a full member of the 27-nation bloc, in remarks rejected outright by France and met coolly by Germany.

Turkish entry talks with the EU have been held up by European concerns over human rights, a perceived lack of progress on reforms, and by a long territorial dispute with EU member Cyprus. Turkey has pledged several times to press on with EU reforms, and membership is seen many years off at best.

Obama will meet Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, and will deliver an address to parliament in Ankara on Monday.

In Istanbul, Obama will attend a reception of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, co-hosted by Turkey and Spain to bridge the gap between Western and Islamic countries.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1076558.html

[Hope And Change]

6. From the article you posted: "...and by a long territorial dispute with EU member Cyprus".This...

is not merely a "territorial dispute", it`s a Turkish occupation of the northern part of Cyprus which is over a third of the island.The occupied part of Cyprus is the most militarized zone in the world.This was not a "Peace operation" as Turkey calls it - it was a Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974!

Turkey can`t join the EU unless there`s a solution to the Cyprus issue.The sole responsibility lies in Turkey`s hands.Turkey is the only country that has recognized the occupied part of Cyprus as "TRNC"("Turkish Republic of Cyprus").If Turkey wants to continue the occupation of Cyprus then they won`t be able to join the EU.

[izquierdista]

7. Not their only assholiness

There is still a world of cultural difference between Turkey and Europe which ought to be enough to keep them out of the EU. One has to remember that the reason the EU is possible is because the various members gave up the cultural idiosyncracies that kept them at odds with their neighbors -- the Germans decided to quit killing the French; the French agreed to allow Hungarian and Bulgarian wine to be imported; the Spanish agreed to answer the phone before noon. Turkey just isn't ready to be anyone's civilized partner. In addition to withdrawing from Cyprus, it would help if they would acknowledge the Armenian genocide, allow Kurds to speak their own language, and improve their relations with Greece.

[FarCenter]

3. The EU is almost unworkable as it is, without Turkey

In fact, they should probably split the Eurozone off from the EU.

[Dover]

4. This seems like an important move to stabilize a VERY unstable

and critically vulnerable area of the world. It will likely remain a vulnerable and volatile spot
so this is hardly a magic pill that will cure all the stresses and geopolitical strains, but Turkey is very divided in its alliances right now and internally as well. So this membership into a larger body to which it will be allied seems like a good move. Of course Turkey is also a major hub for pipeline activity and I have big issues with our foreign policies on energy/resources politics. But even if we decided to withdraw our own energy interests in that region, Turkey is still an important player geographically relative to global relationships and alliances. It would be so nice if we could get beyond all those tensions, but for the time being I think Europe would be better off with Turkey as a partner rather than alienating them, despite the problems and complications of that.

[cobalt1999]

8. Exactly

Turkey in the EU is better for Europe than Turkey isolated from them

[Redwraithvienna]

5. Dear Mr. President ...

Sure we would like to have Turkey join the EU.

But first we want something from you too : Please let Mexico join the US.

No ? Why not ? 100reds of reasons ? Well same with Turkey.

[cobalt1999]

9. Except Mexico isn't asking to join the U.S.

That is a stupid comparison.

[provis99]

11. millions of Mexican immigrants says otherwise.

[pampango]

12. As do millions of Turks working in Europe. n/t

[Optimatus]

14. Which is not a reason

It is up to the European Union to deceide who can enter our European Union.

Besides that, it's the EUROPEAN Union, why should we invite an Asian country and why is an American country interfering in our internal affairs?

[Vidar]

10. Good analogy.

[Orrin_73]

17. Actually in 1978 the EU at the time

invited Turkey and Greece to become a member, if the Turks had accepted it it would be a member like Greece now. The anti-Turkish hysteria started with Kohl in Germany by targeting Turkish immigrants and Turkey. The right wing in Europe is against Turkey's entrance into the EU.

[Optimatus]

13. Turkey

It is up to the European Union to decide who can access the European Union and who cannot.
Mr. Obama is president of the United States of America, not even a citizen of the European Union.
So he is not the one who decides who can access our European Union.

If he loves Turkey that much, he should invite Turkey to become the 51st state of the United States.

[Orrin_73]

15. I guess you are an austrian

Maybe austria should join Germany.

[SpartanDem]

16. Who said anything

about him deciding? It's called an having an opinion.

[Stella_Artois]

18. No not really

Obama saying these things "on the record" is a strong indication of his nations policy. Its not really anything like his private opinion.

His nation has no business interfering in internal EU matters any more than Belguim has a role in deciding matters between New Jersey and New York.