Posted on 10/03/2005 9:38:38 AM PDT by knighthawk
AUSTRIA has pushed the European Union to the brink of a diplomatic crisis by refusing to drop its objections to Turkey's bid to become the first predominantly Muslim nation to be a full member of the European Union.
The Austrian stonewalling pushed Turkey's 40-year campaign to join the EU close to collapse after emergency talks between EU foreign ministers broke up without agreement just hours before entry negotiations were due to start.
Amid frenetic diplomacy and warnings of dire consequences if the EU rejected Turkey, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw chaired fraught negotiations through the night in an attempt to stop Austria from torpedoing the membership talks.
"It's a frustrating situation, but I hope and pray that we may be able to reach an agreement," Mr Straw said.
Membership talks with Turkey, which were agreed in principle last December, had been due to start at a special ceremony yesterday, beginning a process that is expected to take 10 years.
The deadline for an agreement to begin the talks passes overnight, Australian time.
Failure to start the talks on time would only deepen an EU crisis triggered by French and Dutch voters' rejection of the bloc's draft constitution in May and June. Opposition to Turkey's EU hopes was one reason the constitution was voted down.
Austria has demanded that Turkey be offered a "privileged partnership" as an alternative to full membership, an offer that Turkey has made clear is unacceptable. Although Austria stands alone on the issue, it has the power of veto.
In a final attempt to change Austria's mind, British Prime Minister Tony Blair telephoned Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel, and Mr Straw held repeated meetings with Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, warning her of serious consequences if the EU rejected the Muslim country.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also phoned Mr Schussel to try to reach a deal.
Mr Erdogan told Turkish television: "Either the EU will decide to become a world force and a world player, which would show its political maturity, or it will limit itself to a Christian club."
Failure to secure the start of Turkey's entry into the union would be humiliating for Mr Blair, who made it one of the priorities of his six-month presidency of the EU.
Ms Plassnik refused to bow under the pressure of being confronted by all her fellow EU members.
"We are not afraid of difficult situations," she said. "There are limits, and we are about to explore them now."
Opponents of Turkish membership claim that the country is too big, too poor and too culturally different to join the EU. With the EU in crisis over the rejection of its constitution by French and Dutch voters, they claim that it is not capable of absorbing the Muslim country.
Before the talks, Mr Straw gave warning about the effect it would have on relations between Islam and the West if Austria wielded its veto: "This is a crucial meeting for the future of the European Union. We're concerned about a so-called clash of civilisations.
"We are concerned about this theological-political divide, which could open up even further the boundary between so-called Christian-heritage states and those of Islamic heritage. The heavy responsibility rests on all member states."
In Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul huddled with his advisers awaiting news that Austria had ceded ground.
Despite its EU ambitions, Turkey has threatened to turn its back if Vienna gets its way.
AFP, AP, The Times
Within a few decades, Peter the Great was expanding against Turkey and western powers like England were trying to find ways to prop them up as a buffer against Russia.
Funny, I'm not concerned at all...
Typo. 1529.
[quote]Turkey should return Hagia Sophia when Spain returns the Alhambra.[quote]
The original builders of Agia Sophia lived in the city which the church was build in thousands of years before the Turks arrived. Hispania Baetica, the region that Al-hambra was build in, was home to Christian Spaniards thousands of years before the Moors invaded the country in the 8th century AD and renamed it "Al-Andalus". Why should the Spaniards return something that was build on land that originally belonged to them anyway?
So you thinks it's just, reasonable or decent for the Europee-ons to dangle EU membership under Turkey's nose for three solid decades and, after Turkey has met every requirement, often even while the bar was being moved on them, and mean time being one of the West's strongest allies in the cold war (more stalwart at least then a few Western nations) and before Indonesia the world's only majority Islamic democracy, the only Islamic nation openly allied with Israel -- one could go on -- to essentially tell the Turks, "never mind"?
I have plenty of problems with Turkey, but they deserve what they have well earned. (If they want to be part of Europe. Whether that's wise is another matter.)
[quote]I'm not sure, but it's obvious the Hagia Sophia needs to go to the Byzantine Emperor, wherever he is.[quote]
That's an easy one. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy Churches and resided in Agia Sophia until the city fell to Turkey, can be currently found in Constantinople. He has taken over the "Byzantine Emperor's" rule in modern times. He is the "first among equals" in the Eastern Orthodox communion. First in honor among all the Orthodox bishops, presides over any council of bishops in which he takes part and serves as primary spokesman for the communion - in other words our Pope. So go ahead - give it back to him. ;p
Would you support the union of Jordan and Israel or USA and Mexico if Jordan and Mexico wanted it?
What's the point? They don't "want it". And I happen to think, just like most freepers, that Europeans have taken the idea of Union far beyond what is useful and mutually beneficial.
But instead of asking irrelevant questions, why don't you answer my relevant one? Given that the Europeans have dangled inclusion in their EU under the nose of the Turks for decades, and the Turks have done everything asked of them, is it just to deny them now (or make them jump through hoops for another few decades)?
Europeans - the real people do not want it either. It is the EUrocrats who want to "bridge" Europe with Middle East who want it.
But instead of asking irrelevant questions, why don't you answer my relevant one? Given that the Europeans have dangled inclusion in their EU under the nose of the Turks for decades,
Again, the "Europeans" who talk about are the EUrocrats or their friends from outside of Europe. Place of Turkey is where Syria, Iraq and Jordan is.
If you like Russia so much, why don't you move there?
I like many countries, I cannot live everywhere, althought I would not not mind to travel more :)
Thanks for the reference to 1922.
Also see http://www.september11news.com/Sept11History.htm
Bye bye.
5.56mm
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