TURKEY-EU: BLOC CAN BECOME 'GLOBAL PLAYER' OR REMAIN A 'CHRISTIAN CLUB'
04-Oct-2005
Adn Kronos International
Ankara, 2 Oct. (AKI) - [...].
[...]
In an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica published on Monday, Erdogan reiterated the Turkish government's assertion that it has complied with all the preconditions set by Brussels for the start of the talks, and that he was confident that they would go ahead.
"I believe that those who promised to begin this journey will keep their word," he said, but warned, that "if today they place before us different conditions, then Turkey will not swallow such a ruse, and it will continue along its own path."
[...]
Another stumbling block to Turkey's accession is the country's refusal to allow public debate on the so-called "Armenian Genocide," of 1915 which according to many historians claimed the lives of some 1.5 million Armenians. Erdogan has defended renowned Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, who is to stand trial for writing about the massacre in a recent newspaper article, but the Turkish premier argues his hands are tied.
"The media has to understand that this case [Pamuk's] does not involve the country's executive and legislative powers, but the judiciary. It's up to the magistrates to evaluate the facts and we have to respect their decisions," Erdogan told La Repubblica.
[...]
Only 35 percent of EU citizens favour letting Turkey in, according to an EU-sponsored poll in September.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Adn Kronos International
Ankara, 2 Oct. (AKI) - [...].
[...]
In an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica published on Monday, Erdogan reiterated the Turkish government's assertion that it has complied with all the preconditions set by Brussels for the start of the talks, and that he was confident that they would go ahead.
"I believe that those who promised to begin this journey will keep their word," he said, but warned, that "if today they place before us different conditions, then Turkey will not swallow such a ruse, and it will continue along its own path."
[...]
Another stumbling block to Turkey's accession is the country's refusal to allow public debate on the so-called "Armenian Genocide," of 1915 which according to many historians claimed the lives of some 1.5 million Armenians. Erdogan has defended renowned Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, who is to stand trial for writing about the massacre in a recent newspaper article, but the Turkish premier argues his hands are tied.
"The media has to understand that this case [Pamuk's] does not involve the country's executive and legislative powers, but the judiciary. It's up to the magistrates to evaluate the facts and we have to respect their decisions," Erdogan told La Repubblica.
[...]
Only 35 percent of EU citizens favour letting Turkey in, according to an EU-sponsored poll in September.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 7:11 AM
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