Twenty thousand sign anti-Turkey petition, plan protest
Prague Daily Monitor:
Citizens of several European countries have contributed 20,000 signatures to a petition against Turkish accession to the EU. Four thousand of those signatures came from the Czech Republic, the Voice For Europe civic group announced yesterday.
The petition drive began five weeks ago and a demonstration against Turkish membership in the EU will take place outside the country's embassy in Prague on 20 June.
The protest will begin what the activists have titled the week of information for Europe, which should spark a society-wide debate about Turkish membership in the EU.
"There will be several places across the country where it will be possible to acquire more information about Turkey and the EU as well as sign the petition," the organisers told CTK.
The Voice for Europe group is an international initiative aimed at blocking Turkish EU membership. It has launched petitions in eight countries: the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Denmark, Poland, France and Germany.
"We prefer the idea of privileged partnership and call on politicians not to offer Turkey full membership," said David Gresak, one of the organisers of the petition.
The campaign will last until the beginning of September. The petition will be presented to EU leaders before accession negotiations begin with Turkey on 3 October.
German Turks Feel Heat of European Discontent
posted by Adam Lawson @ 11:57 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
"place outside the country's embassy in Prague"
I don't see the point of rubbing their nose in it by holding such a demonstration in front of the Turkish embassy. After all, it is definitely in Turkey's interest, especially their short- and mid-term financial interest, to join the EU. So you cannot really blame them for desiring it. It's the politicians in the current EU nations who should be targeted over this.
This action by the fundamentalist christians of Europe will shame the rest. One positive outcome of this movement is that the Turks can now understand how backward some members of the club which they want to join can be.
How can an institution for 40 years offer membership to a country which, as a full member of NATO protected Europe for decades, and then give way to the crusader mentality?
Opposition to Turkey entering the EU has next to nothing to do with 'fundamentalist Christianity', and nearly everything to do with the on-the-ground reality of the Turkish immigrant presence in Europe that most Europeans see around them every day. In other words, many Europeans have seen enough, and they don't want any more of it, which they are guaranteed to get if Turkey enters the EU.
Perhaps some (an unknown fraction, at least to me) 'fundamentalist Christians' in Europe do oppose admitting Turkey to the EU, but to suggest they are the centerpoint of the opposition is absurd. In fact, such opposition is quite mainstream -- it is the EU leaders who are pushing it who are out of step.
Regarding NATO, given their behavior over Cyprus, one might question Turkey's commitment to maintaining and contributing meaningfully to the alliance. Not to mention their military worth.
Are people, who criticise Turkey's actions in Cyprus, aware of the events of 1963 (when Greek Cypriots forced Turkish Cypriots out of numerous villages and massacred many) or 1968, or 1974 when the soldiers from mainland Greece organised a coup resulting in the deaths of thousands of Greek and Turkish cypriots? Turkey failed to intervene in 1963 and 1968.
The greeks cannont be blamed for resisting Turkey. For hundreds of years Turkey has been a threat to Turkish born Greeks in their own turkish homeland....driving them from their homes...murdering etc. Retaliation is a natural albeit at times irrational response to persecution.
Even today the Greeks and other christians in turkey are persecuted...The ecumenical patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Religion is persecuted severely to this day....
The Genocides commited against the Armenians and denied to this day is also a great attrocity.
Turkey was once a Stronghold for religous freedom when it was the Byzantine Empire.
Turkey must not become part of the EU until they change...NO GROUP of people can be persecuted in the EU.
Turkey is GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY of crimes against humanity and until it ownes up to this and STARTS REAL CHANGE.......it will not become part of the EU.
TURKEY HAS A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.....from when the Ottomans conquered byzantium to the denial of genocide to this day.
If any have a different opinion thats fine.....but i would be more than happy to further debate this with Facts to back my statements....everything i have said is Truth.
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