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
You mean their European colors? Explain to me how Turkey's position on the Iraq War is any worse than that of most of Europe's.
I would consider 10% of the population, plus a large percentage of the economic base, to be rather considerable. Moreover, Anatolian Turkey is hardly the dark side of the moon. Culturally, it is quite modern and Westernized and European. Have you been to Anatolia?
Europe is already europe. Turkey is NOT. This is about TURKEY being admitted. Jeez, if you want to be an appeaser to islam...say so. Stop beating around the bush about.
Josef Haider nearly got elected purely on his promise to stop the unfettered immigration. Since then, we have had Madrid and London bombings. Austrians feel that allowing Turkey into the EU would take the decisions away from them as relates to immigration policy.
I cannot speak for Austrians in general, but I can tell you that the Viennese are not a multi-cultural lot, they dislike all Middle-Easterners, muslim or not. Italians, Americans, and others, including Germans, are treated cordially, but kept at a distance.
Austrians are not bad people at all, quite the contrary (my friends there are both pro-Iraq war, and pro-Bush), but they feel they have a distinct culture worth protecting; Shussel is doing what he has to in order to retain the vote of the people, IMHO.
Screw Turkey and Straw!
Well, it depends on how far you go back. Was Ionia part of Asia? I think Herodotus considered himself to be European. And Constantinople?
They should. The euro-racists have had them jumping through hoops with the promise of EU membership for decades now, and the Turks have done nothing but ask "how high?".
The Turks should tell the Euroweenies to take thier EU membership and shove it were the sun don't shine. They'll be better off in the long run. 'Course the Turks have plenty of issues they need to deal with, such as their dour, destructive anti-growth policies.
Yes, I've been to Anatolia, and it is not European. Modern ad Westernized does not equal European. If it did, then maybe Japan and New Zealand should begin accession talks??
The Greeks are Europeans. That is especially true since they coined the word.... When the Greeks coined the word, the Turks were living somewhere in Turkmenistan or thereabouts..
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"Predominantly muslim"? CIA Fact Book says 99.8% muslim. And with a birth rate that is triple the mortality rate. Give these decidedly non-european muslims citizenship in the EU (no passports - no borders mobility) and every islamist with a death wish will route through the most recent caliphate to the streets of the west.
Actually, come to think of it, New Zealand might have a better claim to 'Europeaness' than does Turkey..
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PB, your "us" is America while I do believe that the "us" for you, alterkaker is not. And, AK, in an earlier post you called Turkey a pluralistic society....99.8% muslim and laws against even giving away bibles is pluralistic? Your Israeli slip is showing.
Cheers, Austria.
Hopefully, this is the first stand to turn the tide of Islamic immigration into Europe. It must be stopped and deportations begun if Europe is to survive. (I hope it's not too late already.)
Yeah, but Austria also gave us Hitler.
I'm not so sure. Much of Greece isn't anywhere near as developed: culturally, economically, politically as Turkey.
Tell me about it landsman.
99.8% Muslim...fine what's the percentage of Christians in Italy? You can be nominally Muslim or nominally Catholic or nominally Jewish, but most Turks are essentially non-religious. Turkey's closest regional ally (aside from Azerbaijan, which is little more than a client state) is Israel, something you'd hardly expect from a bunch of drooling Islamist fanatics.
Well, that didn't last long!
Good news bump.
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