Application of Turkey to EU

Application of misfire to EUIntroductionSince its creation, the europiuman union has been enlarged six times during which it has accommodated twenty one rising members. Today there be three scene states that await social rank flop, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Re common of Macedonia1. The to the highest degree significant of those is bomb calorimeter whose electioneering has created more than controversy than any some other. Since wash offs first rank and file application in 1987, it has sparked numerous debates on whether it travels in the europiuman Union, back then the europiuman conjunction. This paper argues that washout should not be granted membership in the bloc. Several aspects wear been taken into account such as its geographic position, economic state, vast race and cultural incompatibility, that render jokester disqualify to total the union. Moreover, the public opinion in both the EU and Turkey is assessed as important occurrenceor that ref lects the attitudes towards the admission.Back setting informationAs already mentioned, Turkey made its first effort to join the European Community in 1987, when its application was rejected because of its economical and policy-making situation and sorry relations with Greece due to the Cyprus conflict. In 1999, however, candidate status was granted and in 2001 The EU Council of Ministers adopted EU-Turkey Accession Partnership2. In 2002, the Copenhagen European Council resolved that if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, theEU would open accession negotiations with Turkey3. Consequently, in December 2004 the European Council persistent to open official negotiations4.Geographical and demographical aspectsAlthough official negotiations have started, Turkey is not a part of Europe, therefore should not be part of the European Union. Only some 3% of its territory is on th e Old continent, the good deal of its territory is in Asia5. This trivial fact is often overlooked as not as important in the debate for Turkeys membership. However, as a regional organization the EU should have some borders, and if it plans to expand right(prenominal) Europe it should at least change its name, maybe to a domain of a function Union or Eurasian Union. Also in the event of Turkeys admission, it expertness become a precedent that would inspire other countries outside Europe to demand membership as well. Another aspect of the territorial reserve stance of Turkey is that, if it is admitted, the EUs external neighbors go out be states like Iran, Iraq and Syria, wholly of which are marked by internal crisis and/or have account of terrorist groups operate in theirs territories. This aptitude have serious security implications for the bloc, as on the hook(predicate) elements top executive enter the union through its Turkish border.Even if the territorial aspect is ignored, Turkeys vast population cannot be overlooked so easily. With its slopped to seventy-six million tidy sum6, if admitted, Turkey will be the assist realm in population after Ger legion(predicate). According to birth rate throwions by 2020 it would surpass Ger umpteen in population7. The latter prediction means that Turkey would have most delegates in the European parliament resulting in the paradox that the most unrepresentative country for the union would have most seats in its parliament.Another major problem associated with Turkeys population is emigration. With many Western European countries having a substantial Turkish minorities already, the admission of Turkey would mean opening move the floodgates to further immigration from a large and poor country8. This perspective poses some(prenominal) problems first, the cheap labor that would flow from Turkey would undermine the employment of inwrought Europeans second, the problem of the integration of the Turkish mi norities, present nowadays, will be brisk further and last but not least the previous two will further fuel the already present in many countries antagonism against the Turks9. Those are the most obvious problems that emigration from an EU Turkey will bring. However, since Turkey is no occasion like the rest of the members in many aspects, there might be other, not so ostensible problems that might arise with the flow of Turks in the EU countries.Economical and political aspectsThe countrys economical state, even with its positive GDP growth rates10 is still falling fag in comparison to most EU member states. In fact, harmonize to Pevehouse and Goldstein, if admitted Turkey would be the poorest state in the organization, even if the newest members from East Europe are taken into consideration11. Moreover, Turkey has very high debt to income ratio, twice as high as any other member12, which channelizes that big part of the income of the population goes to paying debts, instead o f on covering costs of living.In political aspect, the emerging tensions amid secularists and the Islamic government might have implications for the EU. The Turkish government is currently investigating Ergenekon, which according to prosecutors has committed dozens of terrorist acts and lastly sought to topple Turkeys Islamic-inspired government.13 The secularists, however, have their own point of view on the matter. According to Aysel Celikel, former justice minister, Egrenekon has become a larger project in which the investigation is being used as a calamus to sweep across civic society and cleanse Turkey of all secular opponents14. With the political situation growing more unstable, there is ground for the radicalization of both sides. This should be a warning sign for the European Union that Turkey may not have the political steadiness to join the bloc. Also Turkeys unsatisfactory policy towards its Kurdish minority and the conflict of Cyprus indicate that it is not suitable for membership in the union.Cultural aspect and public opinionApart from the more tangible characteristics of Turkey and the European Union, the commodious gap between their cultural identities is a significant reason wherefore Turkey does not belong in the organization. According to a 2006 Eurobarometer a clear majority of about 60% support the view that Turkeys cultural differences with those of EU members are so large as to impede its membership15. The fact is, that what makes the EU what it is, beside its economical and political aspects, is the common European identity of its members. Turkey does not fit this profile. As member of the Prodis European Commission Franz Fischler swan it Turkey is a sui generis society, far more oriental than European16.Turkeys double timeworn in human rights reflects its different values. Turkey is a member of the disposal of the Islamic conference (OIC), which on the 5 of August adopted the capital of Egypt declaration on Human Rights in Is lam (CDRHI)17, a document base on the Shariah law. It can be seemn as an equivalent to the UN Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR). However, there are some significant inconsistencies between the UNDHR and the CDRHI, especially in rights of women, right to expression and education and freedom of religion18. The draught of the CDHRI creates a double standard by implying that rights of Muslims are incompatible with the archetype of human rights embodied in the UNDHR. The CDRHI implicitly promotes the division between Muslims and people of other religions. As a member of the OIC, Turkey does not belong to the European Union, that adheres to the UNDHR.The view that Turkey is not European is also back up by the overwhelming opposition to Turkeys admission. According to the results from the latest Eurobarometer conducted in run 2008, in the EU 27 bloc only 31 per cents of the respondents agree, and 55 per cent disagree19 with the integration of Turkey, making it the least supported c ountry. Moreover, Turkey is the candidate with most steady opposition compared to other previous applicants, as evident from the results from four consecutive Eurobarometer surveys from 1999, 2000, 2001 and 200220. Resistance to Turkey varies around 47-48%, whereas the country that is second in opposition, Romania has a result around 42-43%21. The strong opposition against Turkeys membership is a clear sign that Europeans do not want it in the EU, and in the event of a referendum on the matter, the public opinion might be the only thing that would ultimately block Turkeys integration. What is even more interesting is that support for the membership in Turkey itself is dropping compared to previous years. A study of the German Marshall Fund indicates that the ratio of Turks who see membership in the EU as a good thing fell from 73 percent in 2004 to 54 percent in 2006 22. In 2008, the support is even lower below 50 per cent23. It turns out that Turk majority is also against the inte gration of Turkey.ConclusionIn conclusion, Turkey should not be accepted in the European Union, because its values in conceive to human rights are incompatible with those of the bloc. The cultural gap between Europe and Turkey is undeniable. Moreover, public opinion marks the strongest opposition against Turkey compared to other applicants. Turkeys territorial location vast population, its economic and political situation will bring more problems than benefits.www.ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/index_en.htmwww.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/eu-turkey-relationsibid.Ibid.www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/turkey-europe-acknowledging-realitywww.oecd.org, OECD statistical profile, Turkeywww.oecd.org, OECD population projections 2009-2020, data for Turkey and Germany comparedJoshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York Longman, 2009), 238See outcomes of Eurobarometers further in the textwww.oecd.org, OECD statistical profile, TurkeyJoshua S. Goldst ein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York Longman, 2009), 238Ibid.Dan Bilefsky. Subversion trial haunts Turkey Vast case defines division between secularists and Muslim-inspired party. The International Herald Tribune. 13 Nov 2009IbidStandard Eurobarometer 66. National Report Executive Summary Turkey.European Commission. light 2006, p. 4.Senem Aydin Duzgit. Seeking Kant in the EUs relations with Turkey. (Istanbul TESEVPublications), 4.www.oci-oci.orgComparison between the UNDHR and CDHRI.Standard Eurobarometer 69. determine of Europeans, Questions QA44.8 QA44.12. European Commission, November 2008.Lauren McLaren. Explaining opposition to Turkish membership of the EU. European Union governing (Sage publications, 2007), 253.Ibid.http//www.transatlantictrends.org/trends/doc/2006_english_key.pdfhttp//www.transatlantictrends.org/trends/doc/2008_english_key.pdf