David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

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Thursday 28 May, 2009

Europe Doesn't Stop at the Pyrenees

Talleyrand said, apparently, that Europe stops at the Pyrenees. But Churchill got it right. He came to Turkey - where I am - during the Battle of Stalingrad to speak of the need for "an instrument of European government", with Turkey as part of it.

Churchill was right then and it is right now. Turkey will be the second fastest growing economy in the world by 2017 according to the OECD. It balances secularism and religious identity. It is on a reform path that is not just about Istanbul and Ankara - I met five mayors and governors from around the country as part of the British council's My City' programme  who are going to share European installation art to bring their cities to European attention.

It is a time for determination not hesitation. Turkey is not ready to join the EU now. But we have a huge amount to gain from pursuing and achieving the goal.

Posted at 16:43 28 May 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[10]

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I read with manys intereses your blog Pierre Clavilier

Posted by Pierre on May 28, 2009 at 05:01 PM BST #

Thirty five years ago, Europe did stop at the Pyrenees. The Portugese Revolution of the Carnations and the Spanish Transition to democracy after Franco changed the map. The political changes in Turkey are doing something similar around the Bosporus. Turkey was originally brought into the concert of Europe by the French nerly 500 years ago, in reaction to the emergence of Spain. Just as Spain has been brought back into Europe by democracy, so will real democracy in Turkey return her to what she used to be; a European power.

Posted by David Heigham on May 28, 2009 at 08:28 PM BST #

Well David I am not sure you are right. I would agree that Turkey is developing and it is a great nation. However, my notion of Europe is more than an economic unit, it encompasses cultures, religion and history and lots of other things and most Europeans want to integrate. Does Turkey really want to be part of Europe as it currently stands? If Turkey does join, do the rest of us have to change and do we want to or will it break the EU. Unfortunately, my expereince is that the Turks do not want to integrate into Western European Society and why should they. They love and are proud of their own society, culture and religion. I am sure they want to benefit economically and EU should welcome this and encourage this. But my vote would be to exclude Turkey from the EU.

Posted by Paul Macdonald on May 29, 2009 at 09:04 AM BST #

Don't be such an opportunist. Churchill installed the colonels in Greece. He re-installed the Japanese in Vietnam against Ho Chi Min. He turned a deaf ear to the Soviet Union's request for the western allies to attack the under belly of Europe a year before D-Day. What has Churchill got to do with a progressive Labour agenda?

Posted by Bill Anderson on May 29, 2009 at 08:39 PM BST #

i am so relieved to read the change in tone. 'turkey is not ready to join the EU now'. that it certainly isn't. on the subject of turkish european integration Erdogan tried to persuade a crowd of 16,000 turks living in Germany that 'Assimilation is a crime against humanity'. but then encouraged them to become more integrated and influential within the european political systems. obviously meaning: this continent is ours, let's take it by stealth. the follow on from the about follows in next box.

Posted by sarahsmith232 on May 30, 2009 at 09:28 AM BST #

his behaviour at Nato when in the position to wield the power of the veto vote couldn't have spelt it out any more obviously. if Turkey joins they intend to use our democratic system to bend us towards a more conservative Islamic Europe. and once in there is not a damm thing we're going to be able to do about it. Turkey is nowhere near the point where they should be considered suitable to join our precious EU.

Posted by sarahsmith232 on May 30, 2009 at 09:29 AM BST #

Dear David,I do agree to you that Turkey isn't ready to join the EU now.But in my opinion we should open the door to Europe now.They are really on a democratic reform path in the entire country.Antalya,Izmir,Bodrum or Trabzon Black Sea are already looking more and more "Turkish-European" as most of us think. PM Erdogan and his government are also making progress in refer of more democracy and reforms-just step by step. That's maybe one of the reasons- according to your interesting report and the OECD-that Turkey will also become one of the fastest growing economies worldwide 'till 2017.So it's time "for determination and not hesitation..". Best wishes, Ingo-Steven Wais

Posted by Ingo-Steven Wais on June 09, 2009 at 12:53 PM BST #

you should encourage art installations in the few hundred christian churches and chapels of northern Cyprus occupied by European Turkey that have been converted into bars, clubs, stables, or mosques. British and Turkish cooperation over Cyprus is a decades old story and in light of Turkish Europeanization, art should be given a new chance in these old churches now that are stripped and cleansed of old mosaics and frescoes. Shalom!

Posted by kyriacos kyriacou on June 16, 2009 at 05:01 AM BST #

Dear David, I'm just back from London where I had been for Mosaic International Network Meeting which is under the high patroange of HRH Prince of Wales and also supported by your ministry. While we were enjoying the closing dinner in the Foreign & Commenwealth Office, I noticed flags of 20 leading & pioneer nations from four different continents, which contributed the world politics & culture, in the beautiful gravures of your office's wall. Turkey was one of them... As you rightly expressed, Turkey as a secular European country with predominant Muslim population stands in a very unique position continues in the next box

Posted by Emre Ozdemir on August 11, 2009 at 08:21 AM BST #

As founding member of Council of Europe since 1950, member of NATO since 1953, member of G-20, Turkey signed Ankara Agreement with European Economic Community in 1963 on the basis of Rome Treaty. We know that Turkey's EU accession is not only an accession of a country but also a decision for EU's future itself. So EU has to decide whether it will be a global power or a regional union. Without fulfilling below four elements, is it possible to be a global power?: Having young and educated population, reaching good markets, having secure energy and having military power as a political tool... Turkish elites still support EU accession but "if it doesn't happen, it doen't happen" and it is not the end of the world. Despite all EU states signed to invite Turkey for full membership on 17th December 2004 in Brussels, we still let EU to make its final decision...

Posted by Emre Ozdemir on August 18, 2009 at 08:37 AM BST #

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