Cameron backs Turkish EU membership

[Osem]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10767768

David Cameron has promised to "fight" for Turkey's membership of the European Union, saying he is "angry" at the slow pace of negotiations.

Is he being serious? Does the EU really need another relatively poor and volatile country added to its ranks, many citizens of which will rapidly want to up sticks and head west for a better life no doubt? Could there be more to this than meets the eye though? Apparently the French and Germans aren't keen on the Turks joining their club and unless they change their minds it probably ain't gonna happen. Is that Cameron's 'calculation'? Cosy up to the Turks, build up trade links etc. to benefit UK PLC based on support for something that's unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future....

[dazzer89]

Originally Posted by Osem

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10767768



Is he being serious? Does the EU really need another relatively poor and volatile country added to its ranks, many citizens of which will rapidly want to up sticks and head west for a better life no doubt? Could there be more to this than meets the eye though? Apparently the French and Germans aren't keen on the Turks joining their club and unless they change their minds it probably ain't gonna happen. Is that Cameron's 'calculation'? Cosy up to the Turks, build up trade links etc. to benefit UK PLC based on support for something that's unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future....

Well David (call me Dave) Cameron seems to know best.

It's a difficult one this - he couldn't really say anything else whilst in Turkey, but if he thinks Germany and France will let it happen he will have to think again also, the influx of turks hitting our streets would make the arrival of the Poles look like a family picnic in Hyde Park.

[Maggy J]

Hmm! Thinking about the Turkish children she has taught and fails utterly to recognise the description given here..

Bear in mind which other countries Turkey has borders with ...

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by gazfan

Bear in mind which other countries Turkey has borders with ...

Maybe but there was direct reference to Turkish citizens..And Turkey is pretty much watching it's borders because of Kurdish Terrorists.

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Maybe but there was direct reference to Turkish citizens..And Turkey is pretty much watching it's borders because of Kurdish Terrorists.

The list of borders includes Iraq, Iran & Syria - EU membership would, imo, give a greater excuse for an increased rationalisation of the NATO links Turkey already has - which includes nuclear weapon sharing & the second largest standing armed force after the US

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Armed_Forces

[danielf]

Military reasons were my first thought.

[frogstamper]

Seeing as how the French want a referendum on Turkish accession to the EU I can't see them gaining membership any time soon.
As regards DC championing the Turkish case for membership I can't see how his recent promise to cap immigration marries up with this, if Turkey does ever become a full EU member their seventy million population will have a legal right to work or live anywhere in the EU.
I know he said he'd introduce a transitional agreement initially but what difference will that make? at some stage Turkish citizens will have every right to come to the UK and set up home, not a prospect his current policies embrace.
I think maybe that Osem has it right in so much as he is well aware that the French Germans, and a majority of EU citizens are against Turkish accession so he knows there is no real prospect of them joining any time soon, but coming across as Turkey's champion his hoping this will reflect very nicely on up-coming business opportunities.

[Maggy J]

Well why not drop him a line and ask him?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by dazzer89

Well David (call me Dave) Cameron seems to know best.

It's a difficult one this - he couldn't really say anything else whilst in Turkey, but if he thinks Germany and France will let it happen he will have to think again also, the influx of turks hitting our streets would make the arrival of the Poles look like a family picnic in Hyde Park.

Staggering generalisation there..

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Staggering generalisation there..

Hmmm, population of 73 million, 67% of which are of working age and an unemployment rate of around 16%. No, I'm sure they'll all stay in Turkey as I'm sure they have a very generous benefits system, or maybe we'll see about 5,000 - 15,000 per year as predicted by the last government when all the Eastern European countries were allowed into Europe.

[nomadking]

Tens(or hundreds?) of thousands that are already here, would suddenly pop up claiming the usual freebies.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

Hmmm, population of 73 million, 67% of which are of working age and an unemployment rate of around 16%. No, I'm sure they'll all stay in Turkey as I'm sure they have a very generous benefits system, or maybe we'll see about 5,000 - 15,000 per year as predicted by the last government when all the Eastern European countries were allowed into Europe.

You can throw all the statistics you want at me. It's still a staggering generalisation. Just because a company joins Europe, it does not automatically follow that we have a huge influx of people wanting benefits from that country.

Either that, or I have totally missed the large populations of the French and Germans we have..

[nomadking]

Given the large numbers of Turkish people who have already paid a large sum of money to be here illegally, just think of the rest who couldn't afford it before, but would, if it goes ahead.

[DocDutch]

dont want to see Turkey in the EU.... and no they wouldnt come to the uk they would join their families in Germany and Holland mainly.