[Istanbuller]

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the European Union is reluctant to accept Turkey as a full member due to its Islamophobic motives.

Speaking at an iftar dinner in Istanbul on Friday, Erdoğan said "The EU's double standard policy towards Turkey has become an undeniable fact,"

Touching upon the referendum held on June 23 in the United Kingdom to decide whether or not to stay in the EU, he said that the Britons' decision to leave the union will mark a new era for the EU.

Erdoğan further added that the EU is likely to face more exits in short term if it "continues on the same path."

U.K. voters opted to leave the EU in a historic referendum on Thursday, sparking worries across European capitals over the political future of the bloc.
Almost 52 percent of voters rejected their country's 43-year EU membership.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey has always given its due importance to the acceleration of Turkey's EU membership bid but the bloc has always been delaying the process.

"Double standards are no longer hidden. They have put more obstacles on Turkey's path. They have been keeping Turkey waiting at their door for 53 years."

During his speech, Erdogan also criticized EU's asylum procedures.

"The EU bloc's bad humanitarian and immoral approach to immigrants has led to a serious debate about the trustworthiness of the European Union," he said.

The EU and Turkey signed a refugee deal on March 18, which aimed to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The deal also allows for the acceleration of Turkey's EU membership bid and visa-free travel for Turkish nationals within the Schengen area, on the condition that Ankara meets 72 requirements set by the EU.

Although Turkey fulfilled most of the criteria last month, differences between Brussels and Ankara on anti-terror legislation have forestalled the visa-liberalization deal.

Turkey began its EU accession talks in 2005.In 1963, Turkey and the European Economic Community (the EU's former name) signed an association agreement.

Source: http://www.dailysabah.com/eu-affairs/20 ... ic-motives

So that means more refugees coming in Europe. Prepare for a new departure from the EU: Greece.

[noemon]

The door of the EU has always been open for Turkey but you are unwilling to cross it because you are unwilling to reform your dictatorial system, you are unwilling to stop imprisoning journalists, you are unwilling to recognise EU member Cyprus and the EU acquis in Cyprus. Do that and nothing/nobody can prevent you from joining.
Erdogan I see is not yet a member but is keen to blame the EU for all the ridiculous autocratic policies he has been enacting, but get this. You will never become EU members if you do not do all these things and become a normal country.

Greece exiting the EU is just a pipe dream and wishful thinking. Greeks are far less ignorant than the Brits about the EU, but there is a chance Greece might exit the eurozone at some point. There is though absolutely no chance of Greece leaving the EU.

[Luna]

Erdogan is a whiny asshole who nobody takes seriously outside of his own country. What else is new?

[Donna]

If anything this demonstrates the unassailable poverty of the movement against 'Islamophobia' and that being 'Islamophobic' is, in fact, in the interests of non-Islamic societies.

[The Sabbaticus]

"Islamophobia' is the province of Islamist agitators. The religiously instilled victim complex of the average Muslim is pretty big and by invoking the spectre of this throw-away regressive phrase (Islamophobia), he's attempting to appeal to their grievances and faux-victimhood.

"We're not rich, because we're Muslim."
"We're not allowed into Europe, because we're Muslim."
"We're not dictating policy in NATO, because we're Muslim."
"We're not allowed to order the Germans around, because we're Muslim."
"We're not part of the permanent members of the UN security council, because we're Muslim."
"We're not allowed to crush Israel, because we're Muslim."
"We're not allowed to shoot down Russian jets, because we're Muslim."

[layman]

He knows that many turks want to be part of the EU.

I think this is just a tactic to turn this progressive ambition around and to have everyone looking inwards and eastwards.

[Istanbuller]

The door of the EU has always been open for Turkey but you are unwilling to cross it because you are unwilling to reform your dictatorial system, you are unwilling to stop imprisoning journalists, you are unwilling to recognise EU member Cyprus and the EU acquis in Cyprus. Do that and nothing/nobody can prevent you from joining.

No, it has nothing to do with Turkey's relations with Cyprus. The EU proposed 72 criteria for visa- free regime to be effective, and Turkey submitted most of them even knowing that EU elites will not loyal to their promises.

Erdogan I see is not yet a member but is keen to blame the EU for all the ridiculous autocratic policies he has been enacting, but get this. You will never become EU members if you do not do all these things and become a normal country.

Erdogan is not going to anywhere and nobody can remove him from his position. He will keep annoying The EU.

Greece exiting the EU is just a pipe dream and wishful thinking. Greeks are far less ignorant than the Brits about the EU, but there is a chance Greece might exit the eurozone at some point. There is though absolutely no chance of Greece leaving the EU.

Disintegration of EU is in Turkey's interests.

Turkey has ability to push Greece out of this union. We will seize you through further Syrian refugee influx.

[The Sabbaticus]

Except he didn't meet the criteria for the visa-free regime. Hence him going on a temper tantrum, irrationally demanding that his EU parents let him have his toy, despite not doing his assigned chores.

[Istanbuller]

Except he didn't meet the criteria for the visa-free regime. Hence him going on a temper tantrum, irrationally demanding that his EU parents let him have his toy, despite not doing his assigned chores.

EU parents? I don't think Turkey's membership bid can be reduced to that since it is not one of those small countries you dictate.

Turkey would have largest number of seats in EU parliament. We will rule you in a possible membership, you will not rule us.

[The Sabbaticus]

Do you really think that? The EU parliament is largely a powerless EU organ, despite changes in the last two decades to accord them with more power in the legislative process. And what is Turkey going to do on its own in the EU parliament? Would it have the numbers to unilaterally push through its will on certain matters? No, it would need the backing of others. Turkey would have 10% of the seats, if not less. And Germany would still be the biggest, with close runner-ups being the UK, France and Italy.

[Dave]

The Turkish ability to punish Europe with "refugees" is based on Europe's own cowardice.

If Europe followed the successful examples of Israel and Australia there would be no "refugee" problem regardless of what Turkey did or did not do.

It wouldn't even need to punish Turkey, which the country deserves probably would not have the desired effect.

[noemon]

No, it has nothing to do with Turkey's relations with Cyprus. The EU proposed 72 criteria for visa- free regime to be effective, and Turkey submitted most of them even knowing that EU elites will not loyal to their promises.

The EU membership blockage has everything to do with Cyprus but also the rest of the things I mentioned, tin pot aggressive dictatorships are not allowed in the club. And this will not change anytime soon.

Erdogan is not going to anywhere and nobody can remove him from his position. He will keep annoying The EU.

The EU does not have to tolerate Erdogan, you have to tolerate him and the place he has placed you in the world.

Disintegration of EU is in Turkey's interests.
Turkey has ability to push Greece out of this union. We will seize you through further Syrian refugee influx.

You 're in denial mate. A lot of EU countries actually want the refugees, and those that pretend not to, just do it to keep their nationalists in line. Greece is full of Albanians, Pakistanis, Bulgarians and Romanians as permanent residents, a few more Syrians will not hurt anybody and the current Greek government is the most welcoming government that has ever been. The only issue we have with the refugees is that we cannot keep up with the registrations but this issue is being sorted with help having arrived from France & Germany.

Greece went through its own identity crisis and it passed, Turkey is standing isolated, politically, militarily, economically, in case you have not realised you have no allies, you don't have Israel, you don't have Iran, you don't have any Arab country on your side, you don't have the US, no Russia, no China and no Europe either, you are balancing on a very fine line, anytime the west decides it pulls the plug and you fall. However funny this may sound your only token ally and supporter is Greece.

[Dave]

Turkey still has AZERBAIJAN, which recently carried out a failed invasion of Armenia.

In addition to Turkey's lunatic foreign policy (the country has even been supporting anti-Chinese uighur separatists, which has not gone unnoticed in Beijing), the real weakness is the country's economy. The Erdogan boom was based on consumer credit. This would be fine if the credit originated in Turkey, but Turkey has a massive current account deficit and the borrowing has been conducted on a short term basis on the European interbank lending market. I will say that the Turks succeeded in weathering the storm around the turn of he decade, but the policy is not sustainable.

[Beren]

Erdogan I see is not yet a member but is keen to blame the EU for all the ridiculous autocratic policies he has been enacting

Even if Turkey were a valuable asset as a member of the EU, we really don't need an autocratic regime blaming the Union for everything. As in the case of the Brits, I wonder whether how the Turkish mean to join something called EUROPEAN Union. If the Brits can't take the line, how could the Turkish do?

[Dave]

Turkey would be a liability, not an asset. Turkish immigrants have been a failure in Europe. Turkish EU accession would mean more of them.

This is a very simple decision which would be true even if Turkey didn't have a madman in power.

Istanbuller is a good member (and there's some prestigious academically inclined Turk on this forum whose user name I don't recall), but Turkish members of this forum have generally been a disgrace. Certainly does not inspire confidence.

[N^G]

The door of the EU has always been open for Turkey but you are unwilling to cross it because you are unwilling to reform your dictatorial system, you are unwilling to stop imprisoning journalists, you are unwilling to recognise EU member Cyprus and the EU acquis in Cyprus. Do that and nothing/nobody can prevent you from joining.
Erdogan I see is not yet a member but is keen to blame the EU for all the ridiculous autocratic policies he has been enacting, but get this. You will never become EU members if you do not do all these things and become a normal country.

Greece exiting the EU is just a pipe dream and wishful thinking. Greeks are far less ignorant than the Brits about the EU, but there is a chance Greece might exit the eurozone at some point. There is though absolutely no chance of Greece leaving the EU.

"ridiculous autocratic policies"

"dictatorial system"

Sounds like Turkey would fit perfectly into the EU tbh.

[hartmut]

..
"We're not allowed to shoot down Russian jets, because we're Muslim."

...

Turkey is member of NATO.
Now member must be allowed to escalate a complicated situation in order to create a casus belli for her own advantage.
The shooting down was absolutely not acceptable.
Especially not in a situation in which the credibility, of that long therm good .partner was on its low

[hartmut]

Excuse me..
Not "Now" but "no"..
"No" member..
Sorry

[soron]

Before Erdogan, I was all for a Turkish EU membership - I saw no point to keep them out, especially considering the long history of friendly releations between Germany and Turkey.

But with Erdogan in the picture that idea came to a screeching halt. Now I'm glad we haven't accepted Turkey into EU yet.
My reluctance to accept them is clearly fueled by Erdoganophobia.