Kilroy-Silk asks voters if they want Turkey in the EU.

Anthony Butcher · 22-09-2004, 12:28 PM

From an email group. No source available, sorry:

Quote:

KILROY-SILK LEICESTER SPEECH TONIGHT:
WRITE TO YOUR M.P. IF YOU DON’T WANT TURKEY ADMITTED TO THE E.U.

Robert Kilroy-Silk, M.E.P. for the East Midlands, will use a speech tonight at Stocking Farm Social Club, Leicester, to call on voters to let their M.P.s know if they want Turkey to be admitted to the European Union. His comments follow recent revelations that the number of visitors to the U.K. from the eight eastern European countries admitted to the E.U. in May appears to have risen more than threefold this year. In July 2003, the number of visitors from the eight new E.U. countries was 61,000. In July this year, the figure had leapt to 191,000.

Mr Kilroy-Silk will tell a public meeting at 7.30pm, being held to launch the new Leicester City Branch of the U.K. Independence Party, that admitting Turkey - with its 80 million population - to the E.U. would lead to large-scale Turkish immigration and exacerbate cultural differences in British towns. He will tell members of the audience that a recent leaked government internal report had noted that uncontrolled immigration was putting intolerable pressures - and causing ‘social breakdown’ - in towns in Britain including some ‘not far away from Leicester’ [Peterborough]. He will severely criticise the government for not consulting British people about this key issue which will affect all our futures.

Mr Kilroy-Silk will warn that admitting Turkey will also mean that British people - of all races - would have to pay the cost of this immigration, for example through lower pensions. “It will also put severe extra pressures on housing, health and social services, schools and transport”, he will say. He will conclude by urging people to write to their MP. He said: “If you are prepared to put up with - and pay for - all the consequences of admitting Turkey to the E.U., then fine. Tell the government. However, if you are not, if you are concerned about possible social breakdown in your neighbourhood, if you are concerned about the extra costs, then I suggest make your views known now by writing to your local M.P.

Mr Kilroy-Silk will be visiting Asian radio station MA TV in Leicester at 5pm and then go on to Stocking Hall Farm Social Club, Marwood Road, Leicester, where he will meet with senior UKIP officials from the Region at 6.30pm to discuss the General Election campaign and then go on to address a public meeting at 7.30pm at which the new Leicester City Branch of UKIP will be formed. For contacts, please see below. A more detailed summary of Mr Kilroy-Silk’s speech is attached.

I really don't understand what the rush to get Turkey INTO phpbb_the EU is about. Turkey is no where near the level of "officialdom" required for EU membership, surely? Turkey is noted for its human rights abuses which will make it impossible for them to comply with and enforce EU law.

Here is a report released today detailing continuing police torture of suspects.

Quote:

Inadequate supervision of police officers allows torture and ill-treatment to continue in Turkey despite the country’s introduction of comprehensive legal safeguards, Human Rights Watch said today

Tom Wilde · 22-09-2004, 03:38 PM

As I want Britain to leave the EU, I have some diffidence about commenting on whether other countries should be allowed in.

However, for what it's worth: Turkey is a lovely country, full of really nice people, fascinating cities, wonderful classical ruins and great food. Its economy is way behind ours, but is well up the the standard of those ex-Communist countries that joined the EU recently. One bar to membership is, as you indicated, its human rights record - but I don't find that argument convincing for the following reasons.

Turkey used to be a very ropey military dictatorship. Now it is trying its darndest to be democratic, and is beginning to build a much better track record. It has been a convincing multi-party democracy for quite a few years now. Its (moderate Islamicist) government has even been making a few concessions to the Kurds. Yes, there are still some serious local abuses, but maybe that is a good reason for Turkey to be brought INTO phpbb_the EU. The interferring busibodies of Brussels could for once in their lives do some actual good, by insisting on strict, verifiable compliance with international human rights conventions. This could be a case where EU membership might actually be good for a country. Turkey's human rights problems wouldn't harm other EU countries, and membership of the EU might reduce those problems within Turkey, so why not? Therefore, given its demonstrated will to improve, its human rights record is no reason for other countries to keep Turkey out of the EU.

The immigration question is another matter altogether. As the main Turkish immigration in the past has been to Germany, I'm guessing that any further large scale migration would be to Germany as well, so maybe it should be up to the Germans.

Anthony Butcher · 22-09-2004, 11:17 PM

I suppose that there are a couple of issues here. Firstly, everyone else in the EU will be affected by Turkish membership; we will have to increase our subsidy payments and accept a lot more migration from there. So while membership may aid Turkey in some ways, it will also be detrimental to other members, certainly in the short term.

Secondly, the EU is supposed to be a zone of free labour movement with equal rights for everyone. Turkey simply cannot offer that at the moment. If our citizens run the risk of ill treatment at the hands of the Turkish police, then it isn't ready to be included in the EU. Repression against the Kurds is still ongoing to some extent, and until recently was a very serious problem.

I say that the EU should wait a few years to see if Turkey can reform itself properly and maintain that level before being admitted.

It doesn't look like Britain will be leaving the Eu any time soon, so this is an important decision. However, because we are just one voice in the EU, we actually can't stop Turkey joining if just 13 out of 25 members want them in, becuase it is settled by majority voting (as I understand it).

Welsh_Warrior82 · 06-10-2004, 09:55 PM

I don't think that Turkey should be admitted INTO phpbb_the EU due to its human rights abuses and opression of ethinc groups such as the Kurds and the Armenians.

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22-09-2004, 03:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,774	As I want Britain to leave the EU, I have some diffidence about commenting on whether other countries should be allowed in. However, for what it's worth: Turkey is a lovely country, full of really nice people, fascinating cities, wonderful classical ruins and great food. Its economy is way behind ours, but is well up the the standard of those ex-Communist countries that joined the EU recently. One bar to membership is, as you indicated, its human rights record - but I don't find that argument convincing for the following reasons. Turkey used to be a very ropey military dictatorship. Now it is trying its darndest to be democratic, and is beginning to build a much better track record. It has been a convincing multi-party democracy for quite a few years now. Its (moderate Islamicist) government has even been making a few concessions to the Kurds. Yes, there are still some serious local abuses, but maybe that is a good reason for Turkey to be brought INTO phpbb_the EU. The interferring busibodies of Brussels could for once in their lives do some actual good, by insisting on strict, verifiable compliance with international human rights conventions. This could be a case where EU membership might actually be good for a country. Turkey's human rights problems wouldn't harm other EU countries, and membership of the EU might reduce those problems within Turkey, so why not? Therefore, given its demonstrated will to improve, its human rights record is no reason for other countries to keep Turkey out of the EU. The immigration question is another matter altogether. As the main Turkish immigration in the past has been to Germany, I'm guessing that any further large scale migration would be to Germany as well, so maybe it should be up to the Germans.

22-09-2004, 11:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 9,823 Party: None	I suppose that there are a couple of issues here. Firstly, everyone else in the EU will be affected by Turkish membership; we will have to increase our subsidy payments and accept a lot more migration from there. So while membership may aid Turkey in some ways, it will also be detrimental to other members, certainly in the short term. Secondly, the EU is supposed to be a zone of free labour movement with equal rights for everyone. Turkey simply cannot offer that at the moment. If our citizens run the risk of ill treatment at the hands of the Turkish police, then it isn't ready to be included in the EU. Repression against the Kurds is still ongoing to some extent, and until recently was a very serious problem. I say that the EU should wait a few years to see if Turkey can reform itself properly and maintain that level before being admitted. It doesn't look like Britain will be leaving the Eu any time soon, so this is an important decision. However, because we are just one voice in the EU, we actually can't stop Turkey joining if just 13 out of 25 members want them in, becuase it is settled by majority voting (as I understand it).

06-10-2004, 09:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
Welsh_Warrior82 Newbie Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Wales Posts: 5	I don't think that Turkey should be admitted INTO phpbb_the EU due to its human rights abuses and opression of ethinc groups such as the Kurds and the Armenians.