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Turkeyâs EU Prospects Gloomy
From Turkish Press Review:DâESTAING GLOOMY ON TURKEYâS EU PROSPECTS The European Unionâs attempts to admit Turkey into its ranks are unlikely to yield a positive outcome, claimed European Convention Chairman Valery Giscard dâEstaing at a Strasbourg press conference yesterday. âIf we want full-scale integration within our European countries, we have to build a homogenous structure and preserve it,â claimed dâEstaing, a former French president, adding, âI donât see that possible with Turkey in the Union.â Ah, the French. Continuing to win friends and influence people. DâEstaing furthermore proposed that instead of accession to the Union, Turkey could improve its ties with the EU by following the example of the relationship between the US and Mexico. By exploiting cheap labor? Late last year, dâEstaing publicly alleged that Turkeyâs accession to the EU would bring about âthe endâ of the Union, causing a firestorm of controversy both in Turkey and the EU. âTHE EU ISNâT READY FOR TURKEYâS ACCESSIONâ Speaking at a press conference following her meeting with visiting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, German opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Angela Merkel claimed that the European Union was not yet ready to admit Turkey, citing as reason the EUâs current economic woes. âThis has nothing to do with Turkeyâs being a Muslim country or the nationâs cultural differences,â added Merkel. Of course not. âThe latest enlargement wave has placed additional burdens on the Unionâs economy, which, for the present time, does not allow the EU to take Turkey in as a member.â "Take a number, weâll get back to you." Posted by: Steve 2003-09-04 |
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