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David Cameron 'Angry' At Lack Of Progress In Turkey's EU Talks
27/07/2010
By Bob Northgate
Prime Minister David Cameron said on Tuesday that he was ‘angry’ at the lack of progress in Turkey’s access to the European Union.
Cameron has said that he will be the ‘strongest possible advocate for EU membership, and for greater influence at the top table of European diplomacy’. He said he wants to ‘pave the road from Ankara to Brussels’.
Cameron’s support for the EU bid puts him in opposition to France and Germany, who are opposed to letting the largely Muslim country of 70 million people from becoming a full member state. Cameron said that there are huge advanced to be made in trade and security if Turkey were to join the EU.
Mr. Cameron said: ‘When I think about what Turkey has done to defend Europe as a NATO ally, and what Turkey is doing now in Afghanistan alongside European allies, it makes me angry that your progress towards EU membership can be frustrated in the way it has been... I believe it’s just wrong to say that Turkey can guard the camp, but not be allowed to sit inside the tent’.
Talks began between Turkey and the EU in 2005, but currently only 13 of 35 policy areas have been discussed. All 35 areas must be negotiated for Turkey to become a fully-fledged part of the EU. Eight chapters remain closed for discussion due to Turkey’s failure to open its ports to
Cyprus, which is does not recognise as an EU member.
There are international concerns that continued exclusion from the EU has influenced Turkish foreign policy, with Turkey voting against UN sanctions on Iran for its ‘uranium enrichment’ programme, which allegedly masks the assembly of nuclear weapons. Turkey has also come into conflict with Israel after nine Turks died in an Israeli operation on an aid ship heading for Gaza.
Mr. Cameron said that we ‘need Turkey’s help’ to dissuade Iran from the alleged weapons programme.
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