EU Expansion Commissioner: Turkey "destined" to join

Jihad Watch reader Mark Alexander has sent in an illuminating exchange he had with a spokeman for EU Expansion Commissioner Günther Verheugen, who says flatly that Turkey is "destined" to join the EU. Around this he hedges, explaining that Turkey must meet the Copenhagen political criteria ("membership requires that the candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect for and protecting of minorities"), but apparently he is sure that it will, despite evidence to the contrary.

First, Alexander's letter:

Honorable Commissioner Verheugen,

I write to you regarding the EU's misplaced determination to allow Turkey into the EU.

I follow the press articles on this subject closely. It seems to me that there is a headlong rush to let Turkey in. This is quite incomprehensible. It is my opinion, and my opinion is based on some considerable research and study, that it would be a grave mistake to allow Turkey to accede to the EU. Indeed, I find such a scenario deeply troubling.

I have been heartened recently to read newspaper articles in the United Kingdom about Commissioner Bolkestein's warning that "Europe's Christian civilization risked being overrun by Islam". Commissioner Bolkestein has apparently set off a "furious row." But he is right, of course. Absolutely right!

Islam, since its inception more than fourteen hundred years ago, has been spread by the sword. It is a proselytizing religion, competing in all respects with our own. All good, practising Muslims have but one main goal: to Islamize the world. That means to say, make all the peoples of the world prostrate themselves in total submission to Allah. This a well-documented fact. It is not a figment of the imagination; and it has nothing to do with Islamophobia. It should be added that Islam is more politics than religion; indeed, it is a very powerful political movement. Further, Islam is not even capitalist; it has its own economic system and principles.

There are many decent Muslims in the world, of course; but this should not blind Europe to the fact that the ultimate goal of the ‘movers and shakers’ in the movement is one of supremacy. Are we really so woefully ignorant here in Western Europe that we are unable to understand this? And are we really going to allow the Turks to come to Europe and supplant our Christian heritage with an Islamic civilization? Our leaders in Europe shy away from including any reference to Christianity in Europe’s new constitution. Muslims, when powerful enough in Europe, would certainly not share their shyness! Never in the history of the world has a civilization as great as ours opened the floodgates to allow in a competing civilization!

Europe was endangered by Islam before: in Andalucia, to name but one example. Muslims even reached as far as Vienna. Have we learnt nothing from history? The nature of Islam is the same today as it was then. A leopard does not change its spots!

It is my opinion that Turkey has nothing in common with Europe. It is culturally different, it is linguistically different, it is religiously different, and the nature of Turkish society is fundamentally different. Indeed, Turkey is so different in every way that it is hard to see why they should even wish to join us, save, that is, for what they can get out of us!

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, reflecting the view of the Vatican, and in an interview with Le Figaro, has also said that bringing Turkey into the European Union would put European culture at risk. He has said that Europe must fight to retain its Christian identity. He added that Europe is a cultural entity not a geographical continent. "Turkey", he said, "always represented another continent throughout history, in permanent contrast with Europe." He added that it would be a "mistake" to equate the two continents.

I concur fully with Cardinal Ratzinger, and I also concur with Comissioner Bolkestein.

It is deeply unsettling that at a time when Islam is growing so rapidly here in the West, the EU seems to be on the verge of allowing such a large Muslim nation like Turkey into the fold. This will change the nature of Europe irrevocably. Within a matter of decades, Europe might well be unrecognizable.

The EU is supposed to be a democratic institution. If this is truly the case, a major decision such as this should not be taken by any one person; instead, the people should decide. Allowing Turkey in will change entirely the course of European history. It is therefore too much responsibility to place on the shoulders of one man, regardless of how educated, intelligent, or distinguished he is.

However, you do carry the burden of this responsibility. So, as a citizen of Europe, I urge you to be circumspect in the extreme on this matter. I understand that many in Germany, France, and central Europe are deeply troubled by the possibility of Turkey entering the Union. The Turkish question there is said to have become an explosive issue. It would appear that the people of Europe do not want this. Does the EU wish to alienate the people of Europe in this manner? And what of the religious Muslims in Turkey? Does the EU believe that this will be welcomed by those people? That might well lead to much unrest in Turkey itself: unrest that might well spill over into Europe.

Turkey's future should remain outside of the EU. The EU and Turkey can, and should, remain friends; they should also be helpful to one another. But that should be all.

I, for one, do not wish to see the Islamization of Europe, and I believe I speak for the many when I state this. This, however, will be the inevitable outcome if a decision in favour of Turkey’s entry into the EU is made in December. One of our most distinguished scholars on Islam, Bernard Lewis, has said: By the end of the century Europe will have become an extension of North Africa and the Middle East! Is this what we want for the people of Europe?

I would like to ask you to use the power entrusted in you by the citizens of Europe to prevent Turkey from being accepted into the EU. As they say in German: Vorsicht ist die Mutter der Weisheit.

Sincerely yours,
Mark Alexander
Author

And the reply:

Dear Mr. Alexander,

Commissioner Verheugen asked me to thank you for your message of 8 September 2004 regarding the accession of Turkey to the EU.

The European Union is, above all, a community of shared values based on the principles of liberty, democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. All these values are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union which was taken over in the preamble of the draft Constitution for Europe. Countries wishing to join the European Union must respect these principles, no matter which religion is predominant in the country.

The EU heads of government at the European Council of Copenhagen of 12 and 13 December 2002 reaffirmed that Turkey is a candidate state destined to join the Union. The European Council explicitly recognised both the progress achieved in coming closer to the Copenhagen political criteria and the determination of the Turkish government in pushing through political reforms. The Council also decided that accession negotiations with Turkey would be opened provided that the Copenhagen political criteria are met.

In December next the Council, consisting of the heads of the governments of all Member States, will make a decision on opening accession negotiations based on the Commission’s report to be published on 6 October 2004. You will find more information on the latest developments in Turkey in that report.

Yours sincerely,
European Commission
DG Enlargement
Turkey-Team

UPDATE: Guenter Verheugen's email address (be polite, non-abusive, brief): Guenter.Verheugen@cec.eu.int.

There is also a petition online:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/euro2/

Posted by Robert at October 1, 2004 5:55 AM
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