Turkey And The Eu

[Khandro]

They are demanding visa-free travel to the EU and yet...
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8805/turkey-child-rape

[ladybirder]

OMG that is appalling.

[Gromit]

The Gatestone Institute are crackpots and right wing biased.

For the moment, Turkey are a NATO ally who are helping in the fight against IS.
There appear to be an either/or choice. You can have Turkish citizens coming to the EU without a VISA. Or you can have anyone from anywhere coming here illegally without a VISA.

[New Judge]

Or (3) you could abandon Schengen and police the EU's external and internal borders properly.

Anyone who believes that granting Turks visa-free access to the EU will prevent or even reduce illegal migrants entering is somewhat deluded. The Turks want visa-free access as part of their advance campaign to become EU members. Well there's room for them now - they can have our place.

[Gromit]

Of all the daft EU myths that there have been, the barmiest is that Turkey is imminently about to join the EU. They are not. It will be decades before they join, if ever.

A deal has been done whereby Turkey prevents refugees from travelling on to Europe. Turkey is currently 'looking after' nearly 3 million people. Preventing them from illegally entering Europe is a good plan. The EU could do that themselves, but the bean counters have decided it is cheaper to pay Turkey to do the hard work. VISA free travel for Turkish citizen was also part of the deal. Turkish citizen are at present legally able to travel to the UK but need to purchase a VISA for £87. The new agreement just does away with that step.

[Khandro]

Gromit; // Turkey are a NATO ally who are helping in the fight against IS. //

Turkey is doing very little to combat IS, because they are, like them, Sunnis.
Their main military activity is trying to destroy the Kurds and they have gone so far as to say anyone aiding them (the UK) will be liable for attack too.

The reason that people like Merkel and Obama are soft-pedalling on Turkey, is that the Americans have stupidly installed atomic weapons on Turkish soil.

There's nothing "crackpot" about Gatestone, but of course, anything but left-wing cant is anathema to you.

[Gromit]

Khandro,
OK, this is just some lefty opinion, but here is a lot of info about GI and the reason I would not trust anything they write about.

http://www.alternet.org/investigations/one-americas-most-dangerous-think-tanks-spreading-islamophobic-hate-across-atlantic

Totally agree about Turkey's supposed help in the fight against IS. They are not committed to that.

Nuclear weapons have nothing to do with the West's attitude to Turkey. It is their NATO membership and strategic geographical position that influences us.

[New Judge]

"They are not. It will be decades before they join, if ever. "

I believe (and sincerely hope) you're right, Gromit. But it doesn't stop them wishing and they are an official candidate nation. The EU needs to police the borders of the ridiculous Schengen area that it has created and should not have to pay bribes and grant special provisions to neighbouring countries. The fact that Turkey has 3m refugees to look after is their fault - they let them in. Because EU bean-counters seem to think it financially prudent to pay somebody else to police its borders does not make it right. Furthermore, like most important strategic decisions the EU takes at times of crisis, it will probably be ineffective and end in tears (with the money remaining trousered).

[Gromit]

The deal with VISA free travel for Turkish citizens had provisos attached. The main one was that Turkey would only get this if they changed their anti-terror legislation to match the EU's. After the failed coup, the Turkish Government have gone in the opposite direction and become even more draconian. They will not harmonise their terror laws, and the VISA free travel will not happen.

So usual scaremongering from the Islamaphobes.

[Togo]

Of course there is nothing to stop Turkey granting citizenship to whoever they please. Followed by of course the coveted visa allowing free movement in Europe. Wake up and smell the Schengen.

[Khandro]

Grommit; You only have to read your own link to Alternet to see what a disreputable site that is: " [Gatestone] has become one of the most important hubs in America’s Islamophobia industry, pumping out reams of dangerous anti-Muslim propaganda of the kind lapped up by far-right mass murderer Anders Breivik."

Really!