State visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul

[anotheoldgit]

During the recent state visit of the Turkish President Abdullah Gul and First Lady, Hayrunnisa Gul, the Queen was reported as saying:

/// "We have come through a great deal together to develop what is, today, a very modern partnership," she said. "In Europe, the British Government remains committed to working with you to secure your place in the European Union.".///

it seems now that Turkey has already got the blessing of both the Queen and her government to join the EU, so if Turkey is successful in achieving this goal, will it have the dramatic effect of increasing the influence of Islam here in the UK?

One can only hope that France's opposition to them joining will be successful.

[atrollope]

Let Turkey in the EU,and this Country will be awash with Heroin,in no time!

[emmie]

long document, but if anyone has the time you should read it, and am aware how long ago it was written.

http://www.esiweb.org...si_document_id_94.pdf

[emmie]

this was also what i was trying to find, i remember reading this as the time

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8592170.stm

[whatmeworry]

"At least AOG's objections, distasteful though they may be"

why is so wrong to not want ones country flooded with moslems and islamified ?

explain

[naomi24]

I'm tired of people crying 'offence' at the drop of a hat. It's becoming an excuse to shut other people up.

[ichkeria]

I don't much mind whether Turkey joins the EU or not.
And I know a lot of people don't like the EU and feel threatened by foreigners and think the whole thing is awful and we'll all be swamped by nasty dark people etc etc.
However, and I don't necessarily many of the people who've raised the objections here, but I am absolutely certain that when Georgia and/or Armenia come up for consideration there won't be the same objections. It's all a bit sad.

However, I agree that Kazakhstan being in UEFA is absolutely ridiculous, but that really is a geography issue!

[ichkeria]

"It's becoming an excuse to shut other people up. "

I don't think so. Or at least, it doesn't work. And thank goodness for that!

[naomi24]

Oh, but much of the time it does - unfortunately.

[emmie]

Ickeria, do you live in the capital, if not, then fearing the dark people is something we don't do, how completely daft to think that. As to Turkey, it's not part of Europe, nor should it be allowed to join. And if you read, though unlikely, that BBC report from last year. Angela Merkel agrees, she doesn't want them to join. And i suspect one of the reasons is that Germany has 3 millions Turkish people living there, many of whom have not learned the language, nor assimilated in any way, nor intend doing so in the near future. So perhaps she can see that their inclusion will mean ever more Turks, who will do the same as their countrymen. This info was from a news report where she was being interviewed, so her words not mine.

[ichkeria]

"Oh, but much of the time it does - unfortunately. "

The only time I manage to shut AOG up when I ask him an awkward question :-)
But although I don't agree with him on most things it would be v dull if he wasn't around!

[ichkeria]

em10, there may be lots of valid rwasons why Turkey should not join the EU, I don't know.
All I am saying is that:
1) Objecting on the grounds that it is "not in Europe" is daft
2) Objecting on the grounds that it will "Islamify" us is also daft

Others here have spoken up for the merits of Turkish culture and influence so you should take i up with them.
It's icHkeria, by the way :-)

[naomi24]

Ichkeria, //The only time I manage to shut AOG up when I ask him an awkward question//

Well, then ask him an awkward question, and stop this silly childish nonsense of being 'offended'. People could quite justly claim they're offended when you insult their intelligence by accusing them of thinking 'we'll all be swamped by nasty dark people', but they don't. They put their opposing argument sensibly, as Em has done.

[Brenden]

Ichkeria, If Turkey were allowed to join the EU, what about the three countries it borders, Iran, Iraq and Syria, would they also have a right to join.

[ichkeria]

Brenden,
I think Iran, Iraq and Syria would find it hard to gain entry to the EU anyway, because of their forms of government, instability etc, although in the future perhaps, who knows? I don't necessarily think Turkey joining would lead to them wanting to join too, though. It is a very different place from those, and I'd just repeat: part of Turkey is actually in continental Europe, and the bit that isn't I think most people would class as "Eurasia".


naomi24, given that your only contribution to this issue has been to butt in and have a go at me for no apparent reason, I don't think you are in much of a position to lecture in the way you have done.
I don't think I've been impolite to the people I'm disagreeing with, although that is for them to say.

[naomi24]

Ichkeria, It would be rather difficult to 'butt in' on an open forum, but that said, my reason for posting here was to give my opinion on your first post. People who immediately cry 'offence', as you did, do it to smother other people's opinions. They think it gives them an upper hand, but in reality it's a cop out. In our current social climate of 'political correctness' it's used on the slightest whim, and unfortunately it succeeds in stifling open and honest debate far too often. Actually you have insulted people's intelligence on this thread, but regardless of that, if you think I'm 'having a go' at you, I'm not. I could just as well be joking with you on the next thread. I'm simply asking that you - and others - have the courtesy to allow the rest of us to have of what you clearly enjoy - freedom of speech - without demonising us with cries of 'offence' the moment we say something with which you disagree.

[anotheoldgit]

ichkeria

//// The only time I manage to shut AOG up when I ask him an awkward question :-) ///

You are not in any position to shut me up, and as regards asking me an awkward question, you should not have said an 'awkward question' but surely an 'undecipherable one', such as the one below:

/// Sorry, I meant to say "a single comment on this thread", as you had accused the larger number of AB-ers of being unreasonable left wingers. I have already, as have most if not all the respondents to your question, criticised the objections to the flying of the flag in fairly forthright terms. And it seems that the council agrees now too, so common sense has prevailed.
Would you not agree that this story doesn't support your original claim that the British flag can be banned from being flown? If anything the opposite ///

[boxtops]

I'm getting cheesed off with people suggesting that if Turkey joins the EU (or even if they don't), the UK will eventually become an Islamic state. It won't. Turkey is secular and disapproves of Islamic headscarves, let alone extremism. This projection says there may only be 5.6 million Muslims in the UK in 20 years time http://www-958.ibm.co...tions-around-the-worl - which is peanuts against the whole population. The comparator for Turkey is 89.1m. They won't all come here, most of those who want to move go to Germany.

[notasyoungasiwas]

I so agree with what Naomi is saying about people finding words 'offensive'. So what, there are worse things in the world than being offended, poor dears! I bet mugging victims, domestic abuse victims and assault victims etc etc all wish they'd just been 'offended'!! It's pc again, can't say what you want without offending people these days. Gets on my wick !!!