Do you support Turkey joining the EU?

[Atlanticatia]

Turkey:
Population- 76.6 million
GDP(PPP)- $1.426 trillion
GDP(PPP) per capita- $19,080
Gini coefficient- 40.2
HDI- 0.722 (ranked #90)

For more info on Turkey's accession to the EU:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_ ... pean_Union

I don't support EU membership for Turkey at the moment. I think that membership contingent on many thorough changes would be applicable:
a) HDI needs to reach at least .8 so it is considered apart of "Very High Human Development"
b) Establishing a welfare state and universal health care system
c) Ending human rights abuses - especially more rights for LGBT people
d) Cleaning up corruption
e) Fulfilment of all EU requirements (which it has already laid out)
f) Reaffirm its commitment to the West, general secularism, and a corruption-free society
g) Reduce inequality

Overall, Turkey could definitely be a viable country for EU membership because of its strong economy, sheer size, etc.
However, it needs to do significant work in order to bring itself up to EU standards, have a better respect for human rights, have a European social policy, and better align itself with other EU member states.

One issue that there may be with Turkey is its border countries, and Turkey current places a decent block between unstable countries and the EU. So that's one thing to consider.

I think Turkey could be a viable member, but right now it is far from being considerable.

Thoughts?

[The Scientific States]

At the moment? No. Thanks to Erdogan, Turkey is becoming less and less democratic, and the Turkish government is singnificantly curtailing the political and civil rights of it's people. Until all of this changes, the EU shouldn't let Turkey join. I do wish for Turkey to join the EU one day, but the EU shouldn't allow it to join now, given the state of the nation.

[Libertarian California]

The EU should kick some nations out rather than trying to add more.

[Atlanticatia]

Should I add a poll?

[The Scientific States]

Should I add a poll?

I think it'd be a good idea.

[The Scientific States]

The EU should kick some nations out rather than trying to add more.

Nations such as...?

[Atlanticatia]

The EU should kick some nations out rather than trying to add more.

I support most EU members, however I'm not 100% sure if Romania and Bulgaria were ready for membership.

[Koopaland]

Considering that the EU is a worthless organization of liberal welfare states, I say that Turkey should be better than joining an organization and stay independent.

[Jamjai]

I think they should rather join the customs union than the EU

or something with Middle East

[The Scientific States]

Considering that the EU is a worthless organization of liberal welfare states, I say that Turkey should be better than joining an organization and stay independent.

A worthless organization of liberal welfare states? The EU is one of the most influential organizations in the world, that has a huge, positive influence on global affairs. The EU is also a organization committed to human rights and the expansion of democracy, and yet you label it as a worthless organization of liberal welfare states.

[Mefpan]

Your list forgot the removal of the illegal occupation of this little strip of land on Cyprus. Increased minority rights and finally owning up and admitting that Turkey or the state it is the successor of was not necessarily very nice to the Armenians.

Then we'll talk.

[Nansurium]

From a purely economic standpoint, Turkey has more reason to join the EU then several of the current members. Also, you should not deny them membership just because of the problems you have with the current government. Over the long term, Turkey is going to play an increasingly prominent economic and security role. It will be what one would call a regional power.

[Atlanticatia]

Added a poll.

I think that closer relations economy-wise is good, but anything beyond that isn't really worth it, at least not for a long time.

[The Scientific States]

From a purely economic standpoint, Turkey has more reason to join the EU then several of the current members. Also, you should not deny them membership just because of the problems you have with the current government. Over the long term, Turkey is going to play an increasingly prominent economic and security role. It will be what one would call a regional power.

The EU should deny them membership because of the authoritarian, corrupt government in power. The EU is a organization committed to democracy and human rights, and until Turkey shows that they are committed to the same ideals, they shouldn't be allowed to join.

[Scomagia]

From a purely economic standpoint, Turkey has more reason to join the EU then several of the current members. Also, you should not deny them membership just because of the problems you have with the current government. Over the long term, Turkey is going to play an increasingly prominent economic and security role. It will be what one would call a regional power.

I agree, though couldn't Turkey be considered a regional power already?

[Atlanticatia]

From a purely economic standpoint, Turkey has more reason to join the EU then several of the current members. Also, you should not deny them membership just because of the problems you have with the current government. Over the long term, Turkey is going to play an increasingly prominent economic and security role. It will be what one would call a regional power.

The EU should deny them membership because of the authoritarian, corrupt government in power. The EU is a organization committed to democracy and human rights, and until Turkey shows that they are committed to the same ideals, they shouldn't be allowed to join.

^ Exactly.

The EU is much more than an economic community - it is an association of states committed to human rights, social development, a common culture, etc

[Scomagia]

From a purely economic standpoint, Turkey has more reason to join the EU then several of the current members. Also, you should not deny them membership just because of the problems you have with the current government. Over the long term, Turkey is going to play an increasingly prominent economic and security role. It will be what one would call a regional power.

The EU should deny them membership because of the authoritarian, corrupt government in power. The EU is a organization committed to democracy and human rights, and until Turkey shows that they are committed to the same ideals, they shouldn't be allowed to join.

Is it unreasonable to assume that being a member of the EU might have a liberalizing effect on Turkey?

[The New Lowlands]

It needs to sort out it's problems with authoritarianism, but otherwise I'm in support.

[Libertarian California]

The EU should kick some nations out rather than trying to add more.

Nations such as...?

Preferably, all of them, as I don't believe the EU should exist in the first place.

But if I had to choose:

Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.

[MERIZoC]

Considering that the EU is a worthless organization of liberal welfare states, I say that Turkey should be better than joining an organization and stay independent.

Ah yes. I forgot how the EU doesn't do anything.

[MERIZoC]

Nations such as...?

Preferably, all of them, as I don't believe the EU should exist in the first place.

But if I had to choose:

Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.

Not likely that's going to happen.

[Bolkania]

Nations such as...?

Preferably, all of them, as I don't believe the EU should exist in the first place.

But if I had to choose:

Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.

Isn't Croatia the newest nation?

I wish my nation gets kicked out (Bulgaria). Our living standards where better before 2007.

[Nansurium]

From a purely economic standpoint, Turkey has more reason to join the EU then several of the current members. Also, you should not deny them membership just because of the problems you have with the current government. Over the long term, Turkey is going to play an increasingly prominent economic and security role. It will be what one would call a regional power.

The EU should deny them membership because of the authoritarian, corrupt government in power. The EU is a organization committed to democracy and human rights, and until Turkey shows that they are committed to the same ideals, they shouldn't be allowed to join.

I think that this is a very short-sighted position to take. Anyone who is committed to the ideals of democracy and human rights knows that the spread of those ideals is inevitable. If Turkey joins the European Union, those ideals will take root even faster because they are often correlated with economic and HDI gains.

[Nekronia]

I hold your opinions for it at the current moment, and if it shapes up I'm in favor, however it looks like things won't go up to par. If things DO work better and things DO improve somehow, then I'm game.

[Atlanticatia]

The EU should deny them membership because of the authoritarian, corrupt government in power. The EU is a organization committed to democracy and human rights, and until Turkey shows that they are committed to the same ideals, they shouldn't be allowed to join.

Is it unreasonable to assume that being a member of the EU might have a liberalizing effect on Turkey?

It's EU law for members to abide by EU regulations, laws, standards, etc. before joining -- so to join, they'd have to change all of that first.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_ ... n_progress