EU-Turkey: A Full Membership Or A "Privileged Partnership?"

[Otto]

their culture is ordinary eruropean culture..ours is unique barbarian one... last barbarians walking this world... we are not trendy at least...

[CatWoman]

armenia might be part of the council of europe and its soccer team might be part of uefa but that doesn't mean armenians are european. neither does being christian nor having an indo-european language mean armenians are european.

I never said Armenia is in Europe now did I? What I said was that we are white and Armenia is not in the middle east. Some consider it to be in Eastern Europe, but it really is in Southwestern Asia. Anyhow, the current location of Armenia is not important. The term Armenian is derived from the Armen tribe who settled in Anatolia from Thrace which was in in south-east Europe and Thracians were Indo-european people. I honestly don't care if we are white or not, but calling us middle eastern is just plain ignorant. Now, there are some very light skinned Armenians and some darker ones, but for you to conclude that Armenian girls bleach their hair to convince themselves and others that they're white is just so ummm childish.

[karakitap]

I never said Armenia is in Europe now did I? What I said was that we are white and Armenia is not in the middle east. Some consider it to be in Eastern Europe, but it really is in Southwestern Asia. Anyhow, the current location of Armenia is not important. The term Armenian is derived from the Armen tribe who settled in Anatolia from Thrace which was in in south-east Europe and Thracians were Indo-european people. I honestly don't care if we are white or not, but calling us middle eastern is just plain ignorant. Now, there are some very light skinned Armenians and some darker ones, but for you to conclude that Armenian girls bleach their hair to convince themselves and others that they're white is just so ummm childish.

Come on, be honest. You care about this "being white" All those miseable attempts about being Indo-European...
Yes you belong to Indo-European family. So what? So you ar relatives with Kurds, Gypsies, Indians, Persians, etc. No? You don't like it?

[Siamanto]

EU adopts rigorous negotiation rules for Turkey

EU observer, Belgium
June 29 2005


29.06.2005 - 18:14 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS -

The European Commission adopted on Wednesday (29 June) the guidelines
on which accession negotiations with Turkey will be based, with
enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn defining them as the most severe
adopted so far by the EU executive.

The document confirms that the goal of the accession negotiations
remains full membership of the EU for Turkey.

However "these negotiations are an open-ended process, the outcome
of which cannot be guaranteed beforehand", the text says.

If "a serious and persistent breach" is noted in Turkey as regards
democracy, respect for human rights and freedoms, and the rule of law,
negotiations may be suspended.

And "if Turkey is not in a position to assume in full all the
obligations of membership it must be ensured that Turkey is fully
anchored in the European structures through the strongest possible
bond", according to the draft.

The framework for negotiations with Turkey is "the most rigorous
framework presented so far", by the Commission, as it will propose
benchmarks for opening and closing the 35 chapters of the document,
the commissioner insisted.

"We [the EU] focus less on words and more on deeds", he said.

The document also confirms that decisions concerning the establishment
of freedom of movement of persons should be mostly up to the member
states.

Not a member before 2014 Turkey is urged to respect the principle of
good neighbouring relations - a veiled reference to the Republic of
Cyprus and to Armenia, before becoming an EU member, however.

Ankara has not officially recognised Cyprus as a state yet, and it
also declines to describe the Armenian killings during World War I
as genocide.

"We expect Turkey to continue the normalisation of relations with the
Republic of Cyprus...and to be constructive in searching a settlement
in the reunification of Cyprus", commissioner Rehn told journalists.

He also confirmed that "Turkey will not become a member of the EU
today or tomorrow".

And the document states that as the country's accession could have
"substantial financial consequences", negotiations could only be closed
after the next financial framework - starting in 2014 - is agreed.

"The EU will do very badly if we are not able to settle our budgetary
problems before Turkey fulfils the criteria of becoming a member
state", the enlargement commissioner underlined.

A lively debate The document was agreed only after a "lengthy,
argumentative and very political debate" of the EU commissioners,
said Mr Rehn to explain the two-hour delay of the press conference
announcing the agreement.

"There is no denying that privileged partnership with Turkey [instead
of a full membership] was brought up in the debate", he admitted.

The commissioner said he could not remember how many of his colleagues
had spoken up in favour of the idea, and declined to cite names.

Lately, Austria has voiced preference for a "privileged partnership"
with Turkey, and the Christian-Democrat opposition in Germany has
made similar noises.

In France, interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who is also tipped to
be the next French president [in 2007], has always favoured the idea.

But it had not been brought up by European commissioners so far.

Asked if, politically speaking, it was realistic to envisage that the
framework will be approved by member states by unanimity, as it has to
be, commissioner Rehn said that the governments of all 25 EU members
had agreed that Turkey should start membership talks on 3 October -
something that was settled during the European Council in December
2004, and confirmed in June this year.

That is why "I have no reason to suspect that EU leaders would
not stick to their word", he said, adding "the EU is a community
of commitments".

If member states do approve the draft, and if Turkey signs the protocol
extending a customs agreement it has with the EU to the ten new member
states, including Cyprus, accession negotiations should be started
on 3 October.

Turkey is expected to sign the protocol within a few weeks,
commissioner Rehn said, and member states should discuss the framework
- with a possibility to modify it - in July or September.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg117347.html

[Siamanto]

[Translated using SYSTRAN. Siamanto]



Last news EUROPE, Monday July 4, 2005 - ARMENEWS- the European Commission adopted on June 29 a document having to be used as framework with the negotiations of adhesion between Ankara and Brussels. This passenger waybill aims at defining the procedures and the principles of the future official negociations. It must now be approved by the Council of Ministers. The latter should consider the subject in September. This stage is capital for the opening on October 3 of the negotiations between Turkey and the European Union. And if the ministers do not manage to agree on the passenger waybill, the opening of the negotiations will be pushed back on an unspecified date.
The conditions included in the document are much more strict than those to which the ten Member States entered the EU had been subjected to May 1, 2004. Ankara will not have to be satisfied to promise reforms applicable to the moment of the entry in the EU, these reforms will have to be implemented during the period of negotiations. In the contrary case, Turkey could even its rejected candidature purely and simply. Turkey should also be called " to standardize " its relationships to the whole of the Member States of the EU, of which Cyprus and Greece and to maintain relations between good vicinity and Arménie and the Kurdish community of Iraq.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister, however reaffirmed that its country was not ready to réouvrir some chapter that it is within the framework of its negotiations with the EU " It is not right to impose day on the following day of new conditions to a country, with stronger reason when negotiations are about to begin. We have as a practice to comprise us in an honest way, and we intend well to be treated in the same way, affirmed the minister. If the European leaders wish that the EU remain a Christian club, it is necessary that they say it clearly. On our side, we regard the EU as a union of political values ".
The vice-president of the commission, Franco Frattini warned Europe " It would make a bad choice while reconsidering his engagements. The message that we would send then would be that Europe turns the back on the Moslem world. For several years, we have asked Turkey to continue its reforms. To deprive Turkey of the advisability of starting negotiations with the EU would be a serious error that it is necessary for us at all costs to avoid ". A position shared by Polish president Alexandre Kwasniewski " Whom would we then say to the Ukraine, the States of the area of Balkans and Turkey? How would we persuade these countries which they must continue their walk towards the democracy and the market economy? ".
Nicolas Sarkozy, Minister French for the Interior, estimates for its part that Europe cannot widen with infinite " It is necessary to suspend widening, at least as long as the institutions were not renovated ". The former police chief Frits Bolkestein is even further affirming: " we must stop the negotiations with Turkey ".
The president of the European socialist party, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, tried to calm the play " If the negotiations of adhesion with Ankara will begin on October well 3, the entry of Turkey should as for it be pushed back in time. A deadline from 20 to 25 years is necessary, which carries us in 2025 or 2030 ".

http://www.armenews.com/New/index3.asp

La commission européenne adopte une feuille de route pour les négociations avec Ankara

Derničres nouvelles EUROPE, lundi 4 juillet 2005 –ARMENEWS- La commission européenne a adopté le 29 juin un document devant servir de cadre aux négociations d’adhésion entre Ankara et Bruxelles. Cette feuille de route vise ŕ définir les procédures et les principes des futures tractations officielles. Elle doit maintenant ętre approuvé par le Conseil des ministres. Ces derniers devraient se pencher sur le sujet au mois de septembre. Cette étape est capitale pour l’ouverture le 3 octobre des négociations entre la Turquie et l’Union européenne. Et si les ministres ne parviennent pas ŕ se mettre d’accord sur la feuille de route, l’ouverture des négociations sera repoussée ŕ une date indéterminée.
Les conditions incluses dans le document sont beaucoup plus strictes que celles auxquelles avaient été soumis les dix Etats membres entrés dans l'UE au 1er mai 2004. Ankara ne devra pas se contenter de promettre des réformes applicables au moment de l’entrée dans l’UE, ces réformes devront ętre mises en œuvre durant la période de négociations. Dans le cas contraire, la Turquie pourrait voire sa candidature rejetée purement et simplement. La Turquie devrait également ętre appelé ŕ " normaliser " ses relations avec l’ensemble des Etats membres de l’UE, dont Chypre et la Grčce et ŕ maintenir des relations de bon voisinage avec l’Arménie et la communauté kurde d’Irak.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Premier ministre turc, a pourtant réaffirmé que son pays n'était pas pręt ŕ réouvrir quelque chapitre que ce soit dans le cadre de ses négociations avec l'UE. " Il n'est pas juste d'imposer du jour au lendemain de nouvelles conditions ŕ un pays, ŕ plus forte raison lorsque des négociations sont sur le point de débuter. Nous avons pour habitude de nous comporter de façon honnęte, et nous entendons bien ętre traités de la męme façon, a affirmé le ministre. Si les dirigeants européens souhaitent que l'UE demeure un club chrétien, il faut qu'ils le disent clairement. De notre côté, nous considérons l'UE comme une union de valeurs politiques ".
Le vice-président de la commission, Franco Frattini a mis en garde l’Europe. " Elle ferait un mauvais choix en revenant sur ses engagements. Le message que nous enverrions alors serait que l'Europe tourne le dos au monde musulman. Depuis plusieurs années, nous demandons ŕ la Turquie de poursuivre ses réformes. Priver la Turquie de l'opportunité d'entamer des négociations avec l'UE serait une grave erreur qu'il nous faut ŕ tout prix éviter ". Une position partagée par le président polonais Alexandre Kwasniewski. " Que dirions-nous ensuite ŕ l'Ukraine, aux Etats de la région des Balkans et ŕ la Turquie ? Comment persuaderions-nous ces pays qu'ils doivent poursuivre leur marche vers la démocratie et l'économie de marché ? ".
Nicolas Sarkozy, ministre français de l’Intérieur, estime pour sa part que l’Europe ne peut pas s’élargir ŕ l’infini. " Il faut suspendre l'élargissement, tout au moins tant que les institutions n'ont pas été rénovées ". L’ancien commissaire Frits Bolkestein va encore plus loin en affirmant : " nous devons interrompre les négociations avec la Turquie ".
Le président du parti socialiste européen, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, a tenté de calmer le jeu. " Si les négociations d'adhésion avec Ankara commenceront bien le 3 octobre, l'entrée de la Turquie devrait quant ŕ elle ętre repoussée dans le temps. Un délai de 20 ŕ 25 ans est nécessaire, ce qui nous porte en 2025 ou 2030 ".

[Siamanto]

Commentary
Regarding the EU, Turkey Should Be
'Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride'

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

There has been a raging debate for some time now among Armenians on whether
Turkey's membership in the European Union would be in Armenia's interest.
Some Armenians believe that after joining the EU, Turkey would be a more
civilized and democratic nation that would recognize the Armenian Genocide,
lift the blockade of Armenia and establish friendlier relations with its
neighbors.
Those opposed to Turkish membership in the EU are certain that Turkey would
never become a democratic state and that the paper reforms it has
grudgingly enacted are meant solely to fool European public opinion. There
are no guarantees that Turkey would ever recognize the Genocide and lift
the blockade of Armenia after joining the EU. Furthermore, as potentially
the most populous state in the EU, Turkey would have the largest number of
representatives in various EU organs, enabling it to pass pro-Turkish and
pro-Azeri initiatives and oppose those in Armenia's interest.
The pro-EU group feels that since Turkey is going to join the EU anyway,
and Armenians would be unable to block it, by opposing the Turkish efforts
Armenians would gain nothing, but risk further antagonizing an already
hostile and powerful neighboring country.
The anti-EU group, on the other hand, believes that an attempt has to be
made to hinder Turkey's membership, forcing the Turks to make some
accommodating gestures to the Armenians.
In view of recent anti-Turkish developments in Europe and the souring of
U.S.-Turkish relations, Armenians in both groups need to reassess their
positions on this issue.
The French and the Dutch have rejected the proposed European constitution,
partially out of fear for an eventual Turkish membership in the EU. To make
matters worse, upcoming elections in France and Germany are expected to
bring to power leaders strongly opposed to Turkey's admission to the EU.
At the same time, the United States has softened its support for Turkey's
EU membership. It is no longer pressuring the Europeans on Turkey's behalf.
There are three possible reasons for such a switch: 1) American officials
may view an enlarged Europe as a potential rival to their sole superpower
status; 2) given the Turks' anti-American attitude, the U.S. government is
no longer willing to go out of its way to support them; and 3) Americans'
meddling in this exclusively European issue has created a strong resentment
in Europe against both the United States and Turkey.
These negative developments have considerably lessened the chances of
Turkey 's membership in the EU and dampened the Turkish public's European
aspirations. The Turkish leaders, who were never too enthusiastic in
reforming their archaic laws and society, now fear that even the paper
reforms they had enacted could create a backlash from an amalgam of
domestic nationalists, Islamic fundamentalists and a despotic military.
This proves once again that rather than wanting to protect the civil rights
of their people and caring for their welfare, Turkish officials' real
objective is holding on to power, while pretending to be interested in
improving the lot of their destitute masses.
In light of the above developments, it appears that Turkey would have no
chance of joining the EU in the foreseeable future. This negative turn in
Turkey's prospects necessitates a reassessment of Armenian lobbying plans
on this issue. It would not be in Armenia's interest to have Turkey either
sail through the EU membership process, as it would not feel compelled to
make any concessions, or be quickly rejected, as Armenia would then lose
all possibility of making any demands on Turkey. Once the door for European
membership is rudely shut in its face, nothing would prevent the Turks from
becoming more hostile towards Armenia and Karabagh.
At this juncture, Armenia's interests would best be served if the EU would
neither accept nor reject Turkey in the short term. It would be preferable
if Turkey just languished on Europe's doorsteps for several decades, while
gradually reforming its society and making more and more concessions to
Armenians, Greeks, Cypriots, Kurds, Assyrians, Alawites and others. The
longer this process takes, the more likely it is for these parties to
obtain concessions from Turkey.
It appears that Cyprus and Greece have already adopted such a long-term
"milking" strategy. Even though both countries could have vetoed Turkey's
membership at the outset, they realized that by doing so they would have
eliminated their sole leverage on Turkey. They are well aware that, unless
Turkey satisfies all of their demands, they could slam the door on its
membership at any moment during the prolonged accession process.
The best way to obtain concessions from Turkey is neither by waiting until
it joins the European Union nor by hastily blocking its membership, but by
making continued demands during its prolonged years of candidacy for the
EU. It is in everyone's interest that Turkey should always be a bridesmaid,
but never a bride!

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg117753.html

[Siamanto]

Turkey disappoints

Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
July 14 2005

Turkey disappoints
Written by Brussels journalist David Ferguson
Thursday, 14 July 2005

Turkish Chief EU Negotiator Ali Babacan failed to make the best of
impressions with MEPs in Brussels. "Babacan avoided talking about the
most obvious shortcomings of Turkey regarding the accession criteria
such as the recognition of Cyprus, the Armenian genocide, the status
of the Kurds and the adoption of the so-called law on foundations,"
said German CDU MEP Renate Sommer.

Sommer, also vice chair of the EP-Delegation on relations with
Turkey, accused Babcan of 'threatening' MEPs by telling them to
abstain from critical questions which may be perceived as 'insults'
to Turks. "My question on the recognition of Cyprus was completely
ignored. Obviously, Mr Babacan thinks that he only has to negotiate
with 24 Member States about accession."

Babacan painted as positive a picture of Turkey's EU application
efforts as possible when speaking to the Parliament's Foreign Affairs
committee earlier this week: "This long awaited decision to start
negotiations confirmed the desire of both sides to forward our
relationship towards full membership. I emphasize 'full membership'
as no document signed between Turkey and the EU nor any other EU
decision envisages any other option," said Babacan.

"We are setting the rules, not Turkey," said Sommer. "It is the duty
of MEPs to insist on Ankara's compliance with the Copenhagen
Criteria, of which no single point has yet been met by Turkey
despite the fact that the start of negotiations has already been
foreseen."

Sommer got support from weighty party colleagues. Elmar Brok, chair
of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Camiel Eurlings, rapporteur on
Turkey, and Antonios Trakatellis, vice-president of the European
Parliament, jointly called on Turkey to ensure religious freedom:
"Religious freedom is not fully ensured in Turkey and the current
draft law on religious foundations falls short of European
standards," said the three. "We appeal therefore to the Turkish
authorities to amend this draft law in a way that all religious
communities established in Turkey can enjoy similar rights as they do
in EU Member States."

"We will recommend to the European Council, which is meeting on 18
July, that this issue of religious freedom and equality is given the
appropriate emphasis in the framework of EU-Turkey negotiations which
is due to be adopted," added Brok, Eurlings and Trakatellis.

Like her CDU/CSU party colleagues back in Germany, Sommer feels
Turkey is not suitable for EU membership: "Without a radical change
in mentality, a full recognition of Cyprus, open discussion of the
Armenian question, an end to the war against the Kurds, equal rights
for women and unrestricted religious freedom, we will continue to
refuse Turkish accession to the EU," Sommer warned.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg118414.html

[Siamanto]

Sarkozy says EU enlargement should be suspended

Sarkozy says EU enlargement should be suspended

12.07.2005 17:28

YEREVAN (YERKIR) - The European Union should suspend further
enlargement of the bloc after French and Dutch voters rejected the EU
constitution, a senior French minister said on Monday, in a veiled
reference to Turkey's EU entry bid.

According to a Reuters report, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, head
of the governing Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), said Bulgaria and
Romania should be allowed to join as planned as their accession
process was too fargone to stop now.

"We have to suspend enlargement at least until the institutions have
been modernized," Sarkozy said after talks with Prime Minister
Dominique de Villepin.

During the EU charter campaign, Sarkozy strongly opposed Turkey's
entry into the bloc and called for Ankara to sign a privileged
partnership accord with the EU instead.

Although not mentioned by name, Turkey was clearly his target again on
Monday when he said: "Europe cannot enlarge indefinitely". Sarkozy
called for Europe to focus its energies on concrete projects, notably
in the fields of energy and giving tax breaks to economically
depressed areas.

Europe's six biggest countries should work together to become a
powerful motor for a new Europe, he added, without specifying which
countries he was referring to.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg118384.html

[Siamanto]

The Future Paris-Berlin Axis

Leaders in waiting out to conjure a new vision of Europe

The Times/UK
July 18, 2005


By Charles Bremner and Roger Boyes
Stars of a new Paris - Berlin axis against the old guard meet with a new authority


THE outline of a new European landscape, both welcome and a challenge
to Britain, will be sketched in a Paris townhouse tomorrow when Angela
Merkel, Germany's probable next Chancellor, meets Nicolas Sarkozy,
France's would-be next President.

Frau Merkel, the Christian Democrat leader, holds a comfortable
lead on the Social Democrat Gerhard Schröder before the election
in September. M Sarkozy, the chief of President Chirac's Union for
a Popular Majority and the most dynamic figure in French politics,
is hoping to replace M Chirac in 2007. The meeting is their first
since Frau Merkel won her party leadership.

She is a stolid east German and he is a slick Paris lawyer-politician,
and they are not close personally. But the ambitious 50-year-old
conservatives share so much common ground as pro-Atlantic,
market-minded reformers that their possible rise to office in tandem
conjures visions of a remarkable shift in continental power.

Under a Chancellor Merkel and a President Sarkozy, today's weak and
defensive Paris-Berlin axis could give way to an easier alliance
with Britain.

Although she avoids the obvious comparison, last week Frau Merkel
praised the "very positive role" that Margaret Thatcher had played
in overhauling the British economy, which has now overtaken Germany's
in per capita income.

M Sarkozy infuriated M Chirac last week by saying that France, also
trailing Britain, needed a Thatcher and a Blair to kick life into
its economy and scrap "the policies of 50 years ago".

Both say that their nations need to move away from their old view
of themselves as the EU's managing partners and repair links with
Washington. The French press refers to "Sarkozy l'Américain".

Yet a healthy new ParisBerlin alliance, while broadly aligned with
Tony Blair's view of the world, may not be such a welcome prospect
for the Prime Minister. A Merkel-Sarkozy agenda, potentially more
self-confident than any since the days of President Mitterrand and
Chancellor Kohl in the 1980s and 1990s, would create a different type
of axis, but it would remain opposed to some important British goals.

These include further EU enlargement. Both Frau Merkel and M
Sarkozy want Turkey to be excluded from Europe permanently --
a position popular in both countries but not supported by their
present goverments.

The pair, although more open to globalisation than their defensive
elders, would continue to pursue deeper European integration despite
difficulties over the constitution. Pragmatic and market-friendly,
they nevertheless remain sympathetic to industrial policies in which
the State promotes national "champions". Frau Merkel is M Chirac's
guest this week and her aides are reluctant to feed speculation of
a rift. "The thinking in the Merkel camp is plainly that Chirac has
passed his sell-by date," one diplomat said. "But she would be really
ill-advised to let that seep into the public domain. She will have
to work with or around him on some key European projects from the
day after she wins."

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg118681.html

[Kanki]

Re: EU-Turkey: A Full Membership Or A "Privileged Partnership?"

Privileged Partnership is better for Turks.

Because we Turks are different from Europeans both costum and language