The Turks don’t support Turkey’s entrance into the EU as strongly as they once did, and the Turkish Foreign Minister says that that is the fault of, you guessed it, the EU. Displacement of Responsibility Alert: “FM Gul Blames EU Leaders for Plunge in Turkish Support for EU,” from zaman.com, with thanks to all who sent this in:
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul blamed some European leaders for the plunge in Turkish public support for the European Union (EU).
Gul told a press conference on Friday after his US visit that the remarks of some EU leaders, who cater to their domestic politics without considering the impact of these remarks in Turkey, are responsible for the drop in support for the EU.
A Eurobarometer poll, carried in April over 1000 people in Turkey, found that only 43 percent of Turks have a positive image of the union. The recent figure shows a plunge in Turkish support for the EU over a six-month period, as the corresponding figure was 60 percent six months earlier.
FM Gul stated that the European side should act responsibly to prepare the Turkish public. Gul noted; however, that the exaggeration of certain issues in Turkey was partly responsible for the fall in Turkish support for EU membership. Foreign Minister Gul pledged that the ruling AKP would take measures to tackle the fall in Turkish support for the union.
Most of the Turkish people are unhappy with the EU stance on Cyprus, PKK terrorism, the so-called Armenian issue and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy. Remarkable numbers of Turks believe that the EU the cynical intention to divide Turkey.
In other words, the Turks are offended by talk of human rights and religious freedom.
Unceasing EU demands on the Turkish government and increasing pressure over Cyprus are seen as the main reasons why Turkish people have begun to turn their back to the European Union. The more EU leaders criticize Turkey, the more nationalist sentiment gains ground in Turkey.
Fine. Let’s just forget the whole thing, shall we?