President McAleese’s Support for Turkish EU Membership Fundamentally Flawed
Lucinda Creighton, Fine Gael’s European Affairs Spokesperson, tonight (Thursday) described recent comments by President Mary McAleese in support of Turkey’s EU membership application as fundamentally flawed. She said that the Government’s continued vocal support for Turkish EU membership was misguided and showed the government to be out of touch with the wishes of the Irish public and at variance with basic common sense.
Speaking at a Fine Gael meeting in Donnybrook this evening, Deputy Creighton outlined her opposition to the official Government position:
“President Mary McAleese’s comments in support of Turkey’s application to join the European Union were regrettable. They reflect an official position consistently held by the Department of Foreign Affairs that is unrealistic and unsustainable. The concept of Turkish accession to the European Union is fundamentally flawed. This is a prospect that will not be countenanced by citizens of the European Union, nor will it be tolerated by the Irish people.”
“The reasons for opposing Turkish membership are manifold. The most obvious issue which is of grave concern is the capacity of the European Union to absorb a hugely populated country into the political and economic union. The most recent census showed Turkey to have a population of over 72 million people, and rapidly growing. The accession of Turkey to the European Union would dramatically alter the balance of power within the EU. The fine balance between the large and small states which was achieved in the Lisbon Treaty after years of painstaking negotiation would effectively be wiped out. Demographic projections indicate that Turkey would surpass Germany in the number of seats in the European Parliament by 2020. The influence of small countries such as Ireland would be dramatically diminished.
Lucinda went on to say: “Turkey lags far behind the European Union in terms of economic development. In 2008 Turkish GDP per capita stood at 45 per cent of the EU average. It is a nation that would amount to a major drain on the scarce and limited resources of the European Union. It makes far more sense to continue Europe’s relationship with Turkey as a strategic political and economic partner, but without integrating Turkey into the European Union.
“Furthermore, the wave of emigration from Turkey to countries such as Ireland would put immense pressure on indigenous employment opportunities. At a time when unemployment in Ireland is verging on 500,000 people, most of whom coming from the construction and building sector, the idea of a dramatic influx of low-paid, unskilled or semi-skilled immigrants is unthinkable.”
“It is also fair to say that from a geographical perspective Turkey cannot be considered to be a part of Europe. By allowing Turkey accede to the European Union, the floodgates would be opened up to countries such as Morocco, who have as legitimate and credible a claim to EU membership as Turkey. This would be a farcical situation, rapidly undoing the political architecture of the EU that has taken over 50 years to construct. There must be limits to the borders of the EU, otherwise there will be a complete breakdown of the political project.”
“It is time for the Irish Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs to wake up to the perils of Turkish accession to the European Union. It is a prospect which horrifies most ordinary citizens when they think of the likely implications. The European Union is criticised for being out of touch with its citizens. Pursuing an agenda for Turkish accession would lend credence to this common criticism. The Irish Government should lead Europe in waking up to the reality that Turkish membership of the European Union is not on.”
