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Turkish accession could spell end of EU, says commissioner
A European commissioner has warned that the European Union may implode if Turkey is allowed to join. Frits Bolkestein, the internal market commissioner, expressed concern that if Ankara was admitted to the EU, the defeat of Turks in Vienna more than 300 years ago could turn out to have been in vain.
| Thank goodness no one in Europe has a long memory. |
The commission is due to report next month on Turkey's eligibility and heads of government are scheduled to make a decision in December. Mr Bolkestein laid bare tensions in the EU over whether to open accession talks with Ankara. The Dutch rightwing liberal said Turkey would have to undergo huge changes before being ready for entry, fundamentally altering its identity, and that the accession of a country of 68 million people, with perhaps 83 million by 2010, would transform the EU. He added: "After Turkish entry the EU will simply be unable to sustain its current agricultural and regional policy. Europe would implode."
| And the inability to sustain the current ag policy is a problem because ... |
Yesterday, his spokesman insisted that Mr Bolkestein did not want to prejudge the outcome of the debate within the commission.
| Of course not! That's why he spoke publicly. |
Posted by: Steve White 2004-09-08 |
