French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is paying an official visit to Bulgaria capital, reiterated his stand for granting partnership status to Turkey that is short of full EU membership.
"We should find a solution, which neither humiliates Turkey nor destabilizes Europe," Sarkozy, whose country has been among the toughest critics of mainly Muslim Turkey's quest to join the European bloc, said in his lecture at Sofia University.
According to him the European Union needs Turkey, but its full membership is risky before the full completion of the project.
Asked when he would change his position on Turkey's EU aspirations, Sarkozy said that would be very risky at this stage when the model for the bloc future is not clear yet. At the same time he fully supported the accession process for the Western Balkans.
In his highly emotional and often interrupted by applauses lecture at Bulgaria's oldest and most prestigious university, Sarkozy stressed the European Union needs Bulgaria because of its identity and history.
"It would have been a shame for the European Union not to accede Bulgaria. Even the word "accession" is not correct because the Bulgarians have always been Europeans," Sarkozy stressed.
He called on the young people of Bulgaria to actively participate in the formation of Europe's new image and model.
The president outlined France priorities when the country assumes the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008, singling out environment, energy, immigration and defence.
France is the third country to hold EU presidency in the first triplet of presidencies, a new system which sees new member states grouped with longer-established members in order to pass on experience and co-ordinate priorities across a longer period.
Author: EUCitizen, 4 Oct 2007 21:09:49
Sarkozy Stands His Ground over Turkey during Bulgaria Visit
Of course, one could be very suspicious about Sarkozy's and France's hidden agenda, when they engaged in the Bulgarian medics case - selling nuclear installations to Lybia, war ships to Bulgaria, it may be difficult for a cool european citizen to discover the humanitarian aspects in the steps that France took after the release of the medics. However, I deeply sympatize with Sarkozy's words when he stresses his satisfaction about Bulgaria joining the EU, his appeal to the Bulgarian youth to fully embrace their european citizenship. Indeed, Bulgaria (and Romenia, and the west Balkans) belongs since always to our european nation and got finally back home since jan 1st 2007. And also, we, in our european home should live in excellent mutual understanding and support with with our closest neighbours, Turkey, North Africa - their home, culture, nation, will be different from ours for a long time still - a forced cohabition would neither be good for them nor for us
Author: CreepyS, 4 Oct 2007 23:25:12
Sarkozy Stands His Ground over Turkey during Bulgaria Visit
Sarkozy is a great guy but I think his stance on Turkey is not justified - France is literally full of arabs and black africans and the turks are not so interested to go to France. On the other hand, Bulgaria and Romania are as developed economically as Turkey.
On the other hand, Kosovo and Albania pose the same problem to the EU as Turkey so it is not logical to accept any of these Western Balkan countries (Albania, Serbia and Macedonia) untill they dont solve issues like Kosovo and albanian (muslim) minorities.
Author: EUCitizen, 4 Oct 2007 23:52:38
Sarkozy Stands His Ground over Turkey during Bulgaria Visit
Bulgaria, Romenia, Bosnia, Albania, belong to Europe, geographically and historicaly, Turkey does not.The French, teh Belgians, the Dutch ... have a common history and jewish-christian culture with the whole of east europe, russia included. Wether there are muslims in Bosnia or Bulgaira or Albania (or France, Belgium, Holland) does not matter: as long as these european muslims behave as enlightend europeans, there can be no problem. Anyway, there are Serbian Orthodox Bosnians too, no? Or Bulgarian catholics? Yes, economically, Turkey may be on the same level as Bulgaria or Romenia, but, is Europe just a club of well organised rich countries? No, it isn't. Europe is a nation of nations who share the same history, culture and general philosophy about life, that distiguish us so much from America or Asia. Bosnia and Albania belong to that culture and history, regardless of how many citizens of these countries converted to islam under ottoman rule, either forced or by opportunism.
Author: DP, 5 Oct 2007 00:29:36
Sarkozy Stands His Ground over Turkey during Bulgaria Visit
“Europe is a nation of nations who share the same history, culture and general philosophy about life, that distiguish us so much from America or Asia.”
Do you mean to say that Bulgaria shares same culture and general philosophy with England, but America does not share all those with England? Or with the French, the Germans, the Dutch, the Italians ,etc….
As far as history goes—let us drop it-- for 500 years is a very long time to be dismissed...
Author: Alx, 5 Oct 2007 00:55:21
Turkey and the EU
I just think that Turkey has way too much of its territory in the Arab world for Sarkozy's taste. If Turkey becomes an EU member, that will make Europe border with Iraq, Syria and Iran. Any takers?
Author: georgebgn, 5 Oct 2007 02:22:00
Turkey and the EU
You know...Bulgarian troops had actually seized Instanbul during the first Balkan war, well not enirely..... Turkey still holds Istanbul (Constantinople aka Tsarigrad) A city sacred to europe. "It" belongs in europe, but not the rest of turkey.
Author: proud_to_be_american, 5 Oct 2007 04:38:14
Turkey and the EU
Hey, Georgebn,
When exactly did Bulgarian soldiers march victoriously in Istanbul?
Where did you get this (des)information from?
Was it part of your primary school indoctrination or perhaps it's a proof
of your ignorance?
Author: georgebgn, 5 Oct 2007 04:59:59
Turkey and the EU
War was declared in October 1912. The Bulgarian army launched extended frontal assaults against the Turkish capital. In only a few weeks the Bulgarian soldiers, inspired by and imbued with the sense of doing their duty for the liberation of their captive brethren, succeeded in defeating the Turkish army half a million-strong in epical battles at Lozengrad, Luleburgaz, Petra and Seliolu. The fortress of Edirne was besieged. The frontline Bulgarian army contingents reached as far as Chataldja - the last of the fortified defenses to the Turkish capital. At this juncture scanty Bulgarian troops defeated the Turkish detachments in the Rhodopes and Aegian Thrace while others entered and freed Eastern Macedonia.
Perhaps you should read some history before insulting glupava svinq!
Author: georgebgn, 5 Oct 2007 05:03:55
Turkey and the EU
"Was it part of your primary school indoctrination or perhaps it's a proof
of your ignorance?" btw, I was educated in America!
Author: Bloke from Alrewas off the A38, 5 Oct 2007 05:14:35
Sarkozy Stands His Ground over Turkey during Bulgaria Visit
For feckin Chrissake, Europe is not a nation full-stop! Europe is a sick geo-poltical label for a primitive Third-World populace that knows not whether it's coming or going!
Ta rah,
Pope Tinkerbell Mandela Tibby Dunbar
Author: CreepyS, 5 Oct 2007 11:51:25
Turkey and the EU
Id like to point out several facts about Turkey that make the argument about its history, culture and religion making it a non-EU country dubious.
30% of the turkish population is aged from 0 to 20 years. The young generation of Turks and turkish Kurds looks quite a bit European, speaking English, computer literate, etc - we have some PhD students from Turkey, Algeria, Egipt, Lebanon - the Turks and the Turkish Kurds dont care about Ramadan, prayers etc while the people from arabic countries respect much more all the traditional stuff.
In fact, there is not a big difference between Bulgarians, Romanians, Serbs, Turks etc as far as the younger generation is concerned.
Then, Turkey is the 7th biggest European economy, with better productivity, higher average salaries and is better structured than the economies of BG, Romania, Albania or Serbia.
So what remains for Turkey to actually be like any Eastern European country within the EU now is some more reforms and issues like Cyprus. As for history, its BS - Constantinople, the Byzantine empire and the Ottoman empire have played a tremendous role in the European culture and politics so how a country that has shaped the whole Balkan peninsula and Romania is not a part from the European heritage?
Author: Alx, 5 Oct 2007 17:29:31
Turkey and the EU
Because Turkey is on its way of losing its secularism - the only reason why the EU would consider it for a member. Erdogan was convicted of "inciting "religious hatred"" just 10 years ago and now he's trying to set women's rights back a whole century.
To put it into perspective:
Secularims means. . .
". . . women are no longer required to seek their husbands' permission to go out to work and can legally have a say in the major decisions affecting a family's life."
Author: CreepyS, 5 Oct 2007 18:43:29
Turkey and the EU
Alx,
Personally I have only observations on Istanbul and on some bright and not so bright turkish people in Germany - the younger generation, the old ones are hopeless. The not so bright resemble Bulgarians only that they work harder and dont cheat and the bright ones are as good as any young European.
But werent there demonstrations for keeping the secular state? millions of people went in the streets some months ago so it must be not so bad in the big cities.
Author: Ozzy, 5 Oct 2007 22:57:28
Sarkozy Stands His Ground over Turkey during Bulgaria Visit
"as long as these european muslims behave as enlightend europeans, there can be no problem"
My dear enlightened friend. Learn how to spell in English first. Enlightened Europeans behave better than European Muslims (E and M are capital !!) ?? Go and talk to some skinheads in Germany and take a walk on rural areas of the Netherlands/Germany. Hooligans of England? If you need more, just read more
Turks have had great impact in shaping Europe and its culture. So did Arabs, go ask your friends in Spain. For 400 years, most east Europe was under the ruling of Ottomans. One of you guys claimed that because of heritage Istanbul belongs to Europe but not rest of Turkey. By the way 20% of Turkey lives in Istanbul, did you know that?
Bulgarian soldiers marched victoriously in Istanbul?? Come on give me a break, maybe they walked on one of the streets for a few hours, but then ran away like dogs when Ataturk and the Turkish Army kicked them out.
Does Turkey belong to EU? It is an irrelevant question, since Turks don’t want to be part of the EU. Check out the latest polls, the government is pushing for it, but when the time comes , Turks will reject it like the Norwegians did in 1972 and 1994
Who cares what stinky French Sarkozy thinks? He is half Hungarian anyway who still is afraid of Turks
