[haku]

Originally Posted by fanoff

Haha,and the real reason why people like you you dont want Turkey in the EU is revealed!!Neither that genocide thing,nor talkings about freedoms and democracy,its just a matter of money!If only we got that money!The others are just excuses to not get Turkey in!!

That kind of absurd statement just shows how little you know about the EU and how it works, a totalitarian state would never be allowed to join no matter how rich it could be, an EU candidate has to meet *all* criterias to be allowed to join, not one more than the other, all of them.
Accession talks are conducted on an Acquis Chapter by Acquis Chapter basis anyway, here you can see a list of Acquis Chapters and their negociation status for all EU candidates, all Acquis Chapters have to be succesfully closed for a country to be allowed to join.


Full EU membership is not the only option anyway, the EU has several associate agreements that are available to its neighbors. The EU commission will unveil the enhanced ENP-plus plan next week for example, and there's also the EEA free trade agreement.
For people who are not familiar with it, here's a map of the EU and its various associate agreements.
Needless to say, i am among the people who think Turkey belongs in the ENP, i would not even oppose Turkey joining the EEA eventually once its economy is up to speed actually.
I've never had any problem with a free trade agreement with Turkey (ENP, EEA, or special bilateral agreement like with Switzerland), i'm just opposed to a full EU membership because it includes being part of European confederal (and one day eventually federal) executive, legislative, judiciary, and monetary institutions where only highly integrated European states belong.
And honestly, i think even Turkey would be happier with a simple EEA agreement.


Oh and for people who are wary of EU enlargement, do not freak out seeing the ENP map, being in the ENP agreement does not mean in any way a future possible EU membership, not at all.
Many of those countries belong to other continental blocs actually:
African countries belong to the African Union
Eurasian countries belong to the Eurasian Economic Community
And Middle-Eastern countries will eventually join the Gulf Council
Given its geographic position, Turkey could alternatively join the Eurasian Community or the Gulf Council.

If you add to that list of continental blocs, the SAARC for South Asia, the ASEAN for South-East Asia, the NAFTA for North America, and the SAC for South America, you have the 8 (or 7 since China is working on merging SAARC and ASEAN) continental blocs that will shape international relations for the foreseeable future, all countries will eventually belong to one of those blocs.