UK

There is one difference between Turkey and Romania: They are Christians and Turkey is not. Of course Christians living in Turkey, [as well as] Jews and the other religious "minorities." But this is mostly a Muslim country, and the Europeans dont like the idea of having a Muslim country in the European Union. Many parties in Europe are trying to hide behind the Greek Cypriots.

Incorrect, the issue is that Europe has a set of standards when considering new members. In other words a country has to be fully developed, a FULL-democracy, grants a degree of decent human rights, and respects other members... NO exception. Turkey incidently wishes to join the FULL membership meaning adopting the EURO as a currency which sets even higher standards economically. Romania is not yet a full member while its Human Development rate is higher than Turkey. Regarding religion; Albania will be starting its process for membership in the near future, and it look clear sailing for them as they recently settled its disputes with Greece. Yes! if one wants to join the EU one has to respect ALL its fellow members. Turkey does not even recognize Cyprus, so why should the EU allow a country in when it does not even recognize another EU member?, nor will it give equal economic treatment for Cpyriot port exporters which alone is a violation of EU rules of free markets.

There are numerous other human rights, economic, and socio-political issues as well in this case, but hey that's how thing are in 21st century.

we don't live in 1980's...
everything is change, you can not see that
Turkey is a strategic country , Turkey has roots in the middle east , in the caucaus in the central asia and in europe... you can not denial this.

2009 ... and beyond, longest buildin of the world in Dubai, in the middle of the desert
it is not in the USA or Europe...

China is 2nd biggest economy in the world

Young Egypt,Iran and Turkey will be 100 million by 2025, Europe needs Caucasus and Central Asia natural gass

*Kazakistan,Azerbaijan,Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan... All of Those coutries are Turkic !
*Middle east is a muslim region ..Like Turkey, Turkey's popularty on top todays in the *middle east.
*iran's %40 Turkic !
*There are millions of Muslim in the Balkans
*Turkey is a G-20 member
*Turkish Army is 2nd biggest in NATO


you can hate Turkey but it is not change that Turkey is so important country

we don't live in 1980's... everything is change

Great, but your talking like your from the 19th century.

The EU like any organization has STANDARDS which apply for memberships, NO exceptions.

First world and development economies, high standards of living, full-democracies, human rights... that is how its done in the 21st century.

European nations, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Australia have retained the highest standards of living and quality of life for decades. The 2009 rates recently came out and guess who are the top 30 and why?

BTW Dubai to even HAVE an economy needs 80% non-citizen entrepreneurs, businessmen and British companies. On its own how long will it last when it exports so much oil and gas meanwhile certain parts of Dubai have daily power shortages and blackouts. And how much waste and mismanagement is caused?

China is rising, and to do that it had to adopt the Western business model (Capitalism) and socio-political reforms. In the future to retain socio-political stability it will have to adopt some form of Democracy and human rights. India as well greatly benefitted from it and may even surpass China economically in the long run.

Without the USA or Europe you wouldn't be typing on a computer or be able to use the internet, drive a car, television, global communications, fly on a airplane, have electricity (lightbulbs, nuclear plants), have access to the best medical discoveries and cures on earth and almost everything else.... simply because, they wouldn't EXIST in the first place. The international political system Democracy is a Greek invention, and Western technology is matched by no one.

Now in the Nano Digital Age also comes the rising of the Green economy. Oil and gas use is gradualy being replaced by clean alternatives, most of the largest auto makers have at least prototyped a Green Hybrid car, others are already selling in huge numbers which alone will restore the slump in auto manufacuters.

If Turkey wants to join the EU then it has to meet the EU standards which means becoming a first world nation, with a fully developed economy which all EURO-Zone EU members must have. Romania has the lowest Human Development rate in the EU and still Turkey has not even surpassed them. Not to mention human rights, and just the common expectations for that matter.

It's not so difficult to understand, economic and social DEVELOPMENT first, then it may become a reality. If this is just about bashing and spewing hate against Greece and Greek people again (who became first world economies 30 years ago) then it just shows desperation.

capitalism is universal, it does not belong to Europe.


Dubai has so the smart managers .Dubai developed by them not UK

European investors in dubai yes,but don't forthet that arabs have 2-3 trillion dollars in Europe and the U.S.

Capital determines everything.
the world's 100 largest construction companies is one of 25 Turkish construction company.

you couldn't say that 15-20 years ago

There are also an issue in Europe's most important population.
Germany in the 1930s was 70-80 million, 70-80 million is still

olderly population will be a big porblem after 20-30 years.

Turkey's young population there, Turkey will be 15 years after 85 million and per capital national income between 25.000-30.000 $ will be approaching the size of the German economy .

Elections in Greece last week to vote to select .television said that 10.600.000 elector in greece . Greece's population is already 11 million, Greece got only 400,000 children? 400,000 people under 18 years old! 4% of the population

25 million people in Turkey 18 years old altında.% 30

big population means big economy big demand

Egypt will be 100 million , Endonasia will be 350 million next 15 years
That countries are not EU countries.

EU don't has future,I think... Future in the Asia.

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wow, marathon run of desperation arguments again!!!!, can you ever come up with anything new????

Capitalism incidently begun in Greece and Rome with their advanced monetary systems and balance rates of Gold and trading values. Many other so called capitalist systems emerged later in different forms. The European Capitalist system (written by European economic theorists) is the most dominent economic system on earth. China and India have adopted this model and now have a vibrant emerging Middle Class. India is the largest Democracy on earth and it has become more clear that China will need its own political reforms if it hopes to stay stable.

Dubai does not have anything solid on its own. Almost every building is built and managed by American or British companies. Almost all its entraprenears and businesses are not natives. Its largest and best Universities are European,and American franchises. If you take the UAE on its own, what does it have or do? Dubai's property bubble has dramatically burst. Home prices have slumped up to 50% from peaks. What kind of economy do you have when only only 77% of the native population is literate, and being an energy giant has its own power shortages, what a world power huh.

Then why not first BUILD a first world economy up to EU standards, then you may get your wish. If Romania and Bulgaria have higher Quality of living rates then something is wrong. Ya 20 years ago Eastern Europe was a third world reck today they have surpased most countries in Quality of living and social services are reaching Western European standards.

Wasen't this already talked about and disproven of that matter? Actually Europe this year has witnessed a new baby boom and France alone topped a fertility of over 2.1. The UK, Scandanavia, Russia, Germany and others are also on the rise due to improved social services. Turkey has fallen below France, and the UK in fertility rate. The Middle East meanwhile has seen the largest decrease in fertility rate, from not too long ago 6-8 to now 2-3, and some even below 2 (Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Tunisia, Algeria). Europes rate while for now lower have been on the rise, the ME overall rate is declining faster than any other region.

$30,000 is still below the EU average TODAY, nevermind in 15 years (assuming it WILL even reach $30,000 by then). Greece has just met the average with a $32,000 per capita average income this year, it has also passed Spain in per capita income.

Incorrect, there are 9.8 million electors. And the population in total numbers is 12 million people. As well a good number who voted are Greeks from abroad who came to vote.

Not when your economy is not fully developed in the first place. India, and China still have not fully tapped into their population consumption potential that's when they will see the real growth, which for them will be enourmous.

Is that why it seems that EVERYONE wants to join the EU nowadays?

Europe needs more and more immigrant
more than 1 million immmigrants in greece today majorty of them muslim


[EUROSTAT]
Greece Population: 11,262,000 (2008 est.) Greeks 10,452,554 93.76 (150.000 of them Turks in Trachia)

Greece has received a large number of immigrants since the early 1990s. The 2001 census revealed that 797,091 foreigners lived permanently in the country[4] and comprised 6.95% of the total population, while their number in 1990 was 142,367.[5] The majority of them come from the neighbouring countries. As of 2006, the number of foreigners in an estimated total of 11,148,533 people was 695,979 or 6.24%. The main ethnic groups


There are 10 million electors in greece


watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU

The days of open border immigration is over for most EU nations, now the aim is to expand social services. France, and the UK have already expanded their birth rates to 2 through this policy and now allow less and less immigrants.

Incorrect, Greece registers immigrants by place of birth but not nationality, most are Greek Diaspora immigrating to Greece but are registered by nation of birth. 500,000 alone are from Albania (40-60% are Greeks), as well Albanians are among the least religious people on earth, most Mosques, Churches etc are used as museums in Albania. Ethinc Albanians as well by second generation are assimilated into Greek society, as well with high rates of inter marriage. The second largest are from Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Egypt etc.

EUROSTAT does not include the huge amount of people in the citizenship registration process which most immigrants are in place at the moment. If that's counted studies have shown the true population is closer to 12 million. Not to mention how many Greek from abroad came and voted in the election? There is no figure for this but ONE party on its own is said to have brought over 100,000 people.

BTW: 100,000 Muslims of Thrace (50% Turks,30% Bulgarian/Pomak, 20% Roma) elected 2 representatives in the Greek parliament and are granted automatic representation in all government institutions. How many minorities in Turkey are given automatic representation?

The video is a promotion for an Evangelical Missionary group, and actually the rate of growth for evangelicalism in Europe is higher than the rate of growth of Muslims.

You have to do better than this.

EURO does NOT grant higher life standards. It's only a delusional life standard which on the basis of such a stupid organization like European Union. There is only one currency but 27 central banks unlike United States because it's not a true union in fact. 10 year Greek treasury bonds have %5,4 interest rate(due to high inflation rate) while German bonds give %3,0 although both of them are Euro. Then of course all the European investors lash out at Greek treasury bonds which also helps to grow Greek banking sector. Besides they are invalid investments, they also get Greek people worked for themselves.

Current HDI index is based on 2006 datas which doesn't include Turkey's new figures. According to 2008 World Bank report, Turkey has $14,000 GDP per capita. However, accountings on the basis of the ESA-95 will have fully completed by 2011 and about %20 increase is expected which means Turkey has about $16,800 GDP per capita right now. Excluding Kurds, Arabs, Roma People and so on, this figure is about %50 above the average among Turkish people. Even not to mention such a big informal economy. So there is not so much difference between the Turkish GDP per capita and EU average. Likewise counting with the fully completed system, Turkey is already at the group of high income countries according to the World Bank. Even life standards in Turkey and Romania cannot be compared. Otherwise there wouldn't be any Romanian workers in Turkey and Turkish businessmen in Romania. The exact reason of the HDI index is to put second world countries to a higher place than the economic average using high communal literacy rate, but it's too far away from realism.

According to European Union laws, a country which has border disputes cannot join with European Union. Moreover Turkey had much older relations with European Union than South Cyprus had. So it's EU's own genuine problem. They may shut the door. Turkey won't recognize South Cyprus as long as North Cyprus is not recognized.

Turkey had slashed corporate tax rate from %30 to %20 by 2005. That counterfeit of Turkey, which is an irrevocable tradition in Greece, get Greece cut the rate of corporate tax from 35% to 25% by 2007. Besides attracting some Greek riches abroad, it also increased prices in Athens and Salonica where holds most of the population who suffer with one of the lowest wages in European Union. It cannot be said that Greek low and middle classes have enjoyed with the growth rate considering the income distribution. 150,000 people may have a good life but that's not true for the rest of 11,000,000 people. Unlike Spain, Greece has zero population growth rate. Plus Greece has been getting the highest amount of EU aid(higher than even Spain and Poland's shares) which has provided about %4 growth rate. In spite of this, Greece will have negative growth rate in 2010 as well even though there is no industry or anything. Greece has been fully colonized by the Northwest-Europe now. Except for a radical situation, Greece's destiny of being a Western base against Turkey won't change.