Bulgaria and Romania are In. | 100 comments (100 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Bulgaria and Romania are In. (4.00 / 2)

Why?
EU membership doesn't end Turkey's NATO membership. Why are Turkey's potential wars less worrying than instability affecting Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia?

The only reason I can see is the Kurdish question, but all this is contingent on the same human rights process all the other entrants had to go through. It's imperfect but it's certainly capable of either stalling Turkish membership or helping to solve the problem in some ways. Separatists are not a new issue for nations within the EU.

3) As opposed to a historically and culturally grey area between Western and Eastern Europe? Or between Sweden and Greece?

It's perfectly legitimate to be anti-expansion, but to suggest that Europe is not a cultural grey area in itself is a lie that needs resisting.

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Tue Sep 26th, 2006 at 12:51:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bulgaria and Romania are In. (4.00 / 3)

I've finally worked out how complicated the Kurdish situation is: four linguistic/tribal groups that don't get on among themselves spread over four(?) different nation states, not along the linguistic boundaries, that don't generally like them much. A good chunk of Kurdish violence is targeted at other Kurds with everything from Islamist to Marxist groups involved, all backed by different governments and populations.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Tue Sep 26th, 2006 at 12:54:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bulgaria and Romania are In. (none / 0)

Right. That's why I felt I had to mention that the potential human rights issues around the Kurds as it exists in Turkey could certainly be an accession issue. But that's different to stopping negotiations and taking the ball home.

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Tue Sep 26th, 2006 at 01:12:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Bulgaria and Romania are In. | 100 comments (100 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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