Far-right parties oppose EU membership for Turkey

[pampango]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hUwkxw5LsV9Q_1vMrrzDUi2FmRPg?docId=f1239ad5c0834a3584e28745bb1a4cc3

Austrian Freedom Party chief Heinz-Christian Strache and members of Belgium's nationalist Flemish Interest Party, the Sweden Democrats and the Danish People's Party, among others, said Turkey has no place in Europe and that citizens should be allowed to weigh in on the matter.

"We are all simply of the firm opinion that Europe would go dramatically astray if one starts taking in non-European countries as members," Strache said. "It would be the end of the European Union, it would be the beginning of a Euro-Asian-African union that would stand in complete opposition to the European peace project and therefore can't be allowed to happen."

Turkish EU membership is a divisive issue in Europe, with leaders of key states such as Germany and France among those expressing reservations about it. But Britain, Italy and Spain have supported the mostly Muslim country's EU bid.

President Barack Obama has urged the EU to embrace Turkey, a member of the Group of 20 and NATO strategically located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, saying its EU membership would broaden and strengthen the continent's foundations.

[mainer]

1. Turkey's the only country with double-digit growth

Their economy is booming. Seems to me Turkey should be the one rejecting EU membership to avoid being dragged down.

[pampango]

2. Some things (race, religion) are more important to right wingers than economic growth

apparently.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Turkey is way behind in the figure you're measuring - GDP per capita

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html?countryName=Turkey&countryCode=tu®ionCode=me&rank=99#tu

$11,400 for Turkey - lower than all current EU members. The EU average is $32,500. Sure, Turkey is growing, but it has to, to catch up with the EU. It'll overtake some EU members soon, but there's no way you can say the economy will be 'dragged down' by EU membership. It'll get open access to a large, rich market.