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| EU 'faces backlash from Turkey' | |||
| 2007-07-02 | |||
The European Union is risking an Islamic backlash in Turkey, according to the EU's enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn.
The survey revealed Turkish approval of Europe to be falling rapidly. Just 27% of Turks have a favourable opinion of the European Union, compared to 58% in 2004, according to this year's annual global survey by the Pew Research Center. "The ongoing frustration in Turkey over its on-again, off-again membership negotiations with the EU are vividly reflected in these data," Pew said in the poll report. EU member states this week opened accession negotiations with Turkey on two new policy areas - statistics and financial control. But after French objections talks were delayed on a third topic - economic and monetary policy. French President Nicolas Sarkozy also said he wanted to reopen the debate on Turkey's accession when the leaders of the EU member states meet in December. The French president is not in favour of Turkish entry to the EU, stating that Turkey is not a European country. But Portugal, which takes over the rotating presidency of the EU from 1 July, is in favour of Turkish membership. Portuguese Europe Minister Manuel Lobo Antunes said Portugal would be trying to get Turkey's membership talks "back on track". Earlier this week, Turkey's chief negotiator, Ali Babacan, said Ankara hoped the problems would be overcome in the next six months. "We are not satisfied with the technical justifications that were given to us and we hope that there will be progress in this matter during the Portuguese presidency," he said. According to the Pew survey, Turkey is currently the most anti-US country in the world. Only 9% of the country favours the US, compared to 52% in 2000, putting Turkey below the Palestinian territories with 13% US approval, and Pakistan with 15%. In the United Kingdom, 51% approved of the US. While 37% of Turks like American science and technology, according to the survey, 81% of Turks dislike American ideas about democracy, and 83% dislike American trade habits.
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| Posted by:lotp |
| #8 Turkey has been facing a backlash from Europe and only now noticed. Perhaps Turkey would have been wise to note who was their friend in 2003 rather than bet on the EU and Islamists and lose control over their own destiny. Heck, we probably would have given them Syria and Iraq to administer if they'd played ball and it allowed us to avoid peacekeeping. Now I'm more likely to support Greek claims to Cypress than ever before. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-07-02 15:25 |
| #7 Invade them, kill their leaders and convert the people to Christianity. Shhhhhhhh - dont give away the plan, it has to happen in stages! First create an independent Kurdish state, re-consecrate Ayia Sophia in the newly created Western state "Constantinople", then cut off the smelly bit & leave to wither. If the last bit takes too long, use it as a playground / creche facility for all of our home grown Jihadi networks. |
| Posted by: Admiral Allan Ackbar 2007-07-02 11:53 |
| #6 I don't trust surveys when they are US firms like Pew working in places like Turkey. You need to do representative sampling based on education, income, family status, etc. Hard to do in Turkey. Use of locals can skew all the results the way they want to go (anti-american, pro-islam). My ex biz did billions in Turkey, we were partnered up with big Turkey firm to do JVs all over the world. Army is very pro-American. And when it comes down the hard choices the Army will always prevail much like in Indonesia, another secular muzzie country under threat. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-07-02 11:10 |
| #5 Or wrap 'em in pigskin, strap 'em to a MOAB, and drop 'em from 50,000 feet from a Sooper-Sekrit flying Trident submarine... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-07-02 10:04 |
| #4 Invade them, kill their leaders and convert the people to Christianity. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-07-02 09:41 |
| #3 If the Turks were smart, they'd for a Middle Eastern version of the EU with themselves as the Germans. They need to realize they are not Europeans born in the wrong place. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-07-02 07:59 |
| #2 2x4 I make them right on your trade policies. They stink. |
| Posted by: Admiral Allan Ackbar 2007-07-02 07:25 |
| #1 81% of Turks dislike American ideas about democracy I wonder what they think that American ideas about democracy might be... I understand the background of their dislike of American trade habits. Euros are more likely to involve baksheesh in their trade relations than Americans. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-07-02 02:15 |