Austria refuses to budge on Turkey

The Australian ^ | October 03 2005

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"We are not afraid of difficult situations," she said. "There are limits, and we are about to explore them now."

Unusually strong statement from a European diplomat. Looks like the Austrians may be awakening from their century-long slumber.

[ScaniaBoy]

some way will have to be found so that not a single EU nation votes on approving membership

EUcrat: And this will be a problem because..?

(Also, I'm not sure you are right. A new accession is not the same as a new Treaty. I cannot remember Denmark or Ireland having referenda on Bulgarian and Romanian entry.)

[AntiGuv]

The Treaty of Nice permits up to 27 members. That covers Bulgaria & Romania.

[ScaniaBoy]

...on the other hand I seem to remember that Chirac gave the French a promise on a referendum on Turkey (but maybe he took it back when they snubbed him on the constitution.)

[ScaniaBoy]

OK - Good point!

In that case I agree - no chance if the peoples will be allowed to vote. But will they? That is the big question.

(Maybe Ireland and Denamrk will be asked to change their constitutions if they want to still be members of the EU. " We have an offer you can't refuse...")

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Quite frankly I do not understand what the US has to do with EU's membership negotiations.

Um, it doesn't. Exactly what we get out of all this trouble is beyond me.

[SQUID]

That's okay, in about 100 years they will be absorbing the EU.

[processing please hold]

Why would Turkey want to be in the EU when it is apparent that most don't want them there? Could it be that they want a toe hold to keep the door open so that one day islam will be the dominate throughout Europe. Caliphate, if you will. islam thinks in long term.

[Enchante]

Whoa!! If this is correct then it sounds like Austria has caved..... another step toward the collapse of European civilization.......

[river rat]

"Mr Straw gave warning about the effect it would have on relations between Islam and the West..............
We're concerned about a so-called clash of civilisations. "

Uh, Mr. straw ---- I believe the Islamists have already declared war on OUR civilization....

Perhaps one of the conditions of admittance to the EU or the "WORLD" -- should be that Islam undergo their modern era reformation and cast out or destroy the lunatics in their midst....

They need not do this alone -- but they should certainly behave as an unambiguous ALLY in that war against Islamist terrorism and Jihad.....

On this final point -- I find Turkey lacking....

Semper Fi

[longtermmemmory]

Austria is only able to take this hard stand because OTHER countries are supporting the stand.

France may "say" the want Turkey but in private the PROBABLY do not. Same with Cyprus. (an EU member Turkey still refuses to recognize)

I saw this reported on Greek Sat. TV. J. Straw was very "animated" about this crisis.

Odd how the USA media is totally missing this.

The EU is in crisis and the Propaganda Media only bashes Bush.

[river rat]

To butcher an old Groucho Marx joke: ...... any club whose standard of admission would accept an unproved entity like Turkey -- isn't a club I would want to join.....

Semper Fi

[longtermmemmory]

The reason Turkey wants in is the generous farm subsidies.

IOW Free Stuff.

[longtermmemmory]

Colin Powel's strong arm diplomacy helped kill the Annan plan for cyprus. (but that was a bad deal to start)

I think the USA does not really care if Turkey is in or out. The effort is the pay off/bribe.

[longtermmemmory]

You obviously know nothing about Europe or Greece.

Greece is very much more developed than Turkey both politically and ecconomically. (see recent oil pipeline and refining deals)

Unlike Turkey most of Greece's ecconomy is NOT invoved in agriculture. They do not have the military vs religious mulla problems that Turkey has.

In addition, Greece KEPT its treaty agreements with the USA. Turkey is the one which obstructed the USA.

[ScaniaBoy]

any club whose standard of admission would accept an unproved entity like Turkey -- isn't a club I would want to join

He was pretty damn smart, that old Groucho.

:-)

[processing please hold]

Good heavens...

Everybody's got their hand out for freebies nowadays. Those freebies has to cost someone in the long run.

[neutrino]

Good for the Austrians. I hope they hold to their wise position.

[ValenB4]

We're already in a clash of civilizations, which doesn't necessarily have to be an outright war but may very well end up becoming one. But Jack Straw's concern is touching. It's pretty amazing to see someone who supported going into Iraq lecture those opposing Turkey about a clash of civilizations. Thank God for Austria, whose people we can thank for remembering the siege of Vienna.

[Major_Risktaker]

Good for Austria.

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.

__________________________

I say Islamic Turkey is not to be trusted. Turkey can show some good faith by returning St. Sophia to it's original builders but that will never happen.

Turkey as an ally to Israel will be over soon because of Islamic influence in a new Democratic Turkey.

__________________

Turkey Club
Issue date 10.11.04

~Snip~

With all-out war raging in Turkey's Kurdish areas, Turkey needed high-tech weaponry, especially after many European nations halted arms sales to Ankara because of human rights abuses.

Indeed, Turkey purchased some $3 billion in military equipment from Israel during the '90s, and Israeli defense companies grew so entrenched in the Turkish procurement system that contracts were often awarded to them without competitive tenders.

~Snip~

For Israel, the consequences may be more severe. Besides losing one of the largest markets for its arms--and its best intelligence source in the Middle East--it faces deeper regional isolation, Israeli analysts say. Syria may be strengthened by its ties to Turkey and less willing to consider dealing with the Jewish state.

__________________

What can I say but WHY? Profits....

Strange Bedfellows: China and Israel
By Eric S. Margolis 16 April 2000

Cohen demanded Israel cancel the US $1-2 billion sale of 3-5 AWACS airborne radar aircraft to China. Israel refused, though it may only sell China one of the Russian aircraft equipped with an Israeli `Phalcon' advanced radar/electronic warfare system, developed from the US `Hawkeye' AWACS system, at least until the heat subsides

Former CIA Director James Woolsey testified Israel has covertly sold `several billions' of dollars worth of top-secret US technology to China since 1983. The Inspector General of the US State Department found, in a 1992 report, a `systematic and growing pattern' of Israel selling American military technology in direct violation of US law. That report concluded Israel was supplying arms based on restricted American technology to China, Chile, Ethiopia, and South Africa, all of whom then under US arms embargo.