Turkey's progress towards accession
13 December 2004
Today, Jim Allister made the following speech in the European Parliament
Allister (NI). – Mr President, is this the European Union or do some have expansionist ambitions beyond the boundaries of Europe? That is a key and defining question which arises from Turkey's application for EU membership.
Turkey is not part of Europe, it is part of Asia: only a finger of land flanking Istanbul lies in Europe. That does not make it a European nation. You might as well say that Spain is African because it has some outposts on the North African coast. It is a shameless agenda of expansionism which drives the EU in wanting to encompass Turkey.
Turkey itself has a shameful history of expansionism. Witness its brutal invasion and occupation of Northern Cyprus. Witness its genocide of the Armenian people. Witness also, despite the massive inducements of pre-accession aid from Brussels, its intolerant suppression of religious freedom, in particular with regard to Christians.
No – Turkey is one country and culture that we can well do without.
Click to view this and other speeches made by Jim Allister in the European Parliament
