Austria refuses to budge on Turkey

The Australian ^ | October 03 2005

[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

[<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.