Posted on 01/26/2008 2:24:45 PM PST by LibWhacker
DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) - - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan warned the European Union against becoming a "club of Christians" as he pushed Saturday for Ankara's membership in the bloc.
"If the EU finds itself as a club of Christians.... it is against the very soul of the EU," Babacan told reporters on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
EU heavyweights France and Germany are both opposed to full Turkish membership, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been particularly vocal on the issue, arguing that the mainly Muslim country does not belong in Europe.
Babacan regretted that the issue of religion had apparently become a factor in the debate on Turkey's accession.
"Religious lines should never be presented as a border," he said, adding that the current 27-nation composition of the European bloc already contained "huge differences" in terms of culture, religion and language.
"Yet, these countries have been successful to find communality," he said.
"At the end of the road, the decision has to be made over whether Turkey is going to add new richness to the EU, so that the EU has a truly global voice and a truly representative voice," he added.
Babacan also argued that allowing Turkey into the EU would allow the bloc to act as a bridge between the West and the Islamic world.
France and Germany have proposed offering a "privileged partnership" instead of full membership -- a compromise flatly rejected earlier this month by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey has so far opened talks in six of the 35 policy fields that candidates are required to complete before accession.
The EU froze negotiations on eight chapters in 2006 in response to Turkey's refusal to grant trade privileges to Cyprus, which Ankara does not recognise, under a customs union pact with the bloc.
Babacan also refuted worries that Turkey's powerful military -- which has unseated four governments in as many decades -- wants to scupper Ankara's EU, democratic and economic ambitions.
Relations between the army and the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) party are fraught, with the military fearful that the prime minister wants to roll back Turkey's cherished secular state.
Babacan said that democracy and freedom are fast becoming so engrained that a return to an undemocratic military autocracy closed to the outside world "isn't even going to be an issue."
"The reform process is becoming more and more irreversible. After opening up (the country) so much, anyone who dares to close the country to any extent will get into serious difficulties," Babacan said.
"This country ... has only one important way to go, and this is democratic. Human rights, freedoms and peace will be the new source of strength."
He added that Turkey's military supported joining the EU and that EU-Turkey negotiations in Brussels and in Turkey often involve army representatives.
"The Turkish military has been a good supporter of Turkey's EU accession process ... although it is not a black and white thing," he said.
"It is a transition progress which we are trying to steer in a successful way."
Centuries of history have revealed that Turkey has most certainly been a boundary in Europe. One that rapidly pushed Westward whenever given the chance or a sign of weakness...
Probably the last thing he has to worry about.
I saw this headline, and the picture in my head was that of a turkey surrounded by the Pilgrims on Thanksgiving with knives drawn.
I thought the E.U. was a clun of Atheists, Agnostics, Unitarians, and Deists.
Turkey used to be Christian... until the Muslims came along and forced everyone to convert or die or pay higher taxes or become slaves or...
In point of fact, I still think Muslims should turn over all the Christian holy sites that they’ve converted into mosques on some shaky pretext or another.
lol, beat me to it.
Mostly it is. Or “Christian Socialists.” Which is where the left wants to take this country.
My point exactly. I have been to Istanbul and it sure does not feel like Europe — yes, modern cars, malls and really great food but it seems more Middle Eastern than European.
Hopefully, the EU ministers aren’t so foolish as to take this seriously. Letting Turkey into the EU would be the death of Europe as it currently is. Europe may well be dying a slow death, but this will hasten it considerably.
Even more unbelievable is that Bush is pushing for Turkish entry into the EU. Hopefully it is a case of saying one thing in public and advocating another in private.
Magooey
If only.
While the muslims will rail against western culture infiltrating the middle-east with our mere presence, nevermind Israeeeeel, they’ll with a straight face no less tell us it’s our fault muslims aren’t accpeted into European GOVERNMENT?
Those ^$#$ ^%$#^%# can say THAT, while their fellow Muslims throughout the middle east are murdering everyone to make the area a Christian and Jew free area...
The audacity of these %^%&*% #@^%$# is MORE than infuriating....
This crap won’t stop until we wake up and put some HORRIFIC ass whippings on the $#%^# %$^%%$
“Even more unbelievable is that Bush is pushing for Turkish entry into the EU.”
Ever heard of the One World/One Government concept?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo
Excellent way of summarizing it.
Yep, 99.8% muslim today (CIA Factbook).
It ought to be forcibly converted back to 0% muslim.
Let no one think this is a moderate regime. It is a raging cauldron of extremism controlled by a small cadre of elite MINO secularists who are as ruthless as they come. Overthrow them and all hell will break loose.
Well, Ali Babacan stop worrying about the Europeans acting like Christians.
Not a single word about the oppression of non-Muslims in Turkey. While this is to be expected from the Turkish Foreign Minister, where was the response from the Europeans? Where was the reporting from the new agency?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.