Jim Murphy

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Friday 22 February, 2008

Last week I spoke at a Rotary Club dinner in my constituency. The questions were interesting (and so were some of my answers!). I was asked "was Turkey in Europe and should it be able to join the EU?".

The simple fact is that Turkey always has been a major European player. Europe itself is made up of many different cultures, histories and religions, but it is this diversity that gives us strength. The only realistic foundations for Europe are common values; no-one believes in a Europe defined by geographical boundaries alone. The EU has accepted since 1963 that Turkey is in principle eligible for membership, and in Helsinki in 1999 we all agreed that if Turkey complied with the rigorous conditions that all candidates must meet, it should become a candidate for full membership.

We believe that it would be in the best interests of Britain and Europe as a whole for Turkey to join the EU. Turkey is set to enter the top ten global economies within the next twenty years, and is already the EU's sixth biggest trade partner. It has a young, well-educated population, and double the average growth rate of mature EU economies. And modern Turkey proves that democratic values are compatible with a Muslim majority state. It makes no sense for the EU to be a closed Christian club. Its membership must demonstrate that diversity of religious beliefs is compatible with common values, and common institutions. EU membership will maximise Turkey's valuable and unique role between East and West, as a key player in Europe, and on the global stage.

Turkey should be in the EU was my answer.

Posted at 10:50 22 February 2008 by Jim Murphy | Comments[8]

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I agree that Turkey should join Europe but after they acknowledge their guilt in the Armenian Genocide and learn from those lessons. The British have done well to learn from their colonial disasters and Turkey would be a better place and more at home in Europe if they acknowledged theirs.brbrI hope the UK doesn't practice a double standard by consistently pushing for the Germans to acknowledge their role in the Holocaust but then turn a blind eye when the Turks dismiss their role in the Armenian Genocide...lest we forget the death of Hrant Dink last year.

Posted by Hrag on February 22, 2008 at 05:00 PM GMT #

I agree with your overall conclusions, but I am interested to know your opinions on how far the EU can expand as Turkey obviously pushes the geographic boundaries?

Posted by Mike Lancaster on February 22, 2008 at 10:30 PM GMT #

Dear Mr Muphy,brbrI sincerely agree with you that Turkey should be a member of the EU. However, i have concern that our government and in particular the FCO is not really helping Turkey to resolve its Kurdish question with peaceful means through dialogue. Britain had experienced Northern Ireland and at the end Labour government resolved the conflict peacefully with political means. brbrRather than encouraging Turkey for a peacefull solution to the Kurdish question, I am afraid the blank cheque Britain has provided to Turkey is making things worst in Turkey. You may know that the Turkish troops, over 10,000 of them according to the Turkish media, have crossed the border in the name of fighting PKK guerrillas. Turkey is aiming at undermining Kurdistan Regional Government not the PKK. There are more PKK fighters in Turkey according to the Turkish PM Mr Erdogan than in Iraqi Kurdistan. brbrI know that you have been supportive of Kurdish peoples struggle for freedom and their thirst for peace since you were a young activist in Scotland. Mr Murphy, today is the right moment for Britain to amend the mistake she made in 1920's when she did not kept her promise to the Kurdish people of a homeland. Now, Kurdish people are not asking for an independent homeland but rather to live in Turkey as equal citizens with their basic human rights guaranteed under a common constitution.brbrBritain has a historical role to play for a peacefull solution to the Kurdish question. And you and Mr Miliband are the right people with right ideas to do this.brbrI and over 200,000 Kurdish population of the UK are keen to see your effort on this. brbribrahim dogusbr

Posted by Ibrahim Dogus on February 23, 2008 at 01:03 AM GMT #

It is interesting that one of the pillars of UK policy in relation to the EU has been to support the widening of the EU to the east - the 12 accession states and Turkey, not to mention the Ukraine as well. I support EU enlargement if it changes the culture of the EU and stands for multicultural values and an effective body to address the major issues of our time. But in reality this will mean an even higher bill for the British taxpayer, and i say this as a labour voter. brbrI agree that Europe should represent more multicultural values, but I don't see the EU doing much inter-faith outreach work. Are we expected to believe that integration is just going to happen easily? There are huge movements who are against this and more needs to be done to bring about a more cohesion. It seems to me at present that our government is advocating this more for political expediency at present.br

Posted by Simon Barr on February 26, 2008 at 03:01 PM GMT #

"Turkey has always been a major player in Europe"--true-it has tried several times to take over Europe by force and nearly succeded-Istanbul has more national flags flying than even Mid West America-so entry into the EU will begin a rapid process-from 90 million in 2020 to 150million in 2050 that will see the end of Christian EuropebrEurope should be about "common values".I cannot think of any values Turkey has with Europe-it is not truly democratic-the military can constitutionally play a decisive role-women are repressed by religious forces -there is no real freedom of speech...What is this weird creature Murphy talking about?brTheir is only one reason for the endless promotion of Turkey into the EU.brIt is because Turkey is the only country Israel fears.It is a potential loose cannon which could go Muslim and which has a well organised and powerful militarybrThe absurd nonsense talked by Milliband, Murphy and these other FO officials merely blurrs this fact.brIt is shameful that ministers of a once great nation like Britain can be so manipulated in this way by another country

Posted by Lord Truth on February 27, 2008 at 12:56 AM GMT #

Dear Mr Murphy,brbrI do agree with your opinion. But Turkey itself is ready to join EU? It's a big deal. Did Turkish want to join EU?

Posted by richard guo on February 29, 2008 at 03:05 AM GMT #

Sorry for mine bad english:, but I agree with you that Turkey must be part of EU, not just for economic reasons, Turkey have whery strong influence to rest countries in their environmentmilitary, economic...cultural..etc. This facts and very rich history deploy Turkish in the acme countries in this region. Izrael is whery poerfull and respected country and i think that beetwen this two countries antagonism dosen't exist.Somebody talk abot Kurdish problem, my opinion is that Kurdish problem is Iraqi problem too and be fairy problem for UN. This is whery wide ranging theme but Turkey is part of europe befeore some countries come into EU. They have human resources,economic power, military strainght... andd they always be a Big player in this region in any way.

Posted by Misa on March 05, 2008 at 01:38 PM GMT #

I as a firm and commited European an against Turkey joining the EU. Turkey is not in Europe and as many non European customs such as honour killings. Secondly the recent unpublished report on fraud in the EC Parliament leads me to the conclusion that we have to clear out the current "Augean Stables" that rules our lives before we even think of enlarging it

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