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Austria kept blocking it. This lead to Erdogan taking over and he kept pushing. I don't think they were really that close to joining - too much bad blood ((inv

Austria kept blocking it. This lead to Erdogan taking over and he kept pushing. I don't think they were really that close to joining - too much bad blood ((invasions and stuff) with Austria, Italy , etc.

skinnymuch 1y ago
That’s not the issue. It’s that Turks and Kurds are not considered European. Europeans are the most Islamophobic.
- stodor89 1y ago
  Even if these statements held any truth, they'd still be irrelevant. "The issue" was Turkey's extremely brutal treatment of Kurds.
larfus 1y ago
Disagree. The current make-up of the EU barely represents historical bonds with so many nations in it. Though a populist leader using such history as leverage is not unbelievable, official Austrian reasoning behind refusal was much more pragmatic, human rights and migrants. Turkey is a regional player punching above their weight (potentially upsetting power balance less-so economically but definitely diplomatically and militarily) and is not exactly in line with EU ideals, culturally and politically, due to years of unstability and turmoil. That being put aside, despite flaunting acceptance and democracy as their foremost goal, EU leaders surely knew not compromising on Turkey's accession would stray them farther of the EU in every way possible. And if that helps with a potentially bigger migrant crisis, so much the better.
- monkeydreams 1y ago
  Nations holding the region of Turkey are historically very powerful. My guess is that historical forces are reasserting themselves and that we may could see a much more assertive Turkey going forward.
  - capitainenemo 1y ago
    ... due to controlling a key choke-point in land trade between europe and the middle-east and asia. That hardly applies now. The suez canal would be a better modern equivalent.
    - monkeydreams 1y ago
      > That hardly applies now. I respectfully disagree given the basic fragility of the Suez Canal system along with the fact that Egypt is not growing into a major world power on the back of their governance of this canal.
      - capitainenemo 1y ago
        No, they aren't, and there are plenty of reasons for that, not in the least because the canal is very different from a major trade city. But then, land trade is not making a comeback either. So if you're arguing for something to restore the historic importance of Troy, Constantinople etc, you're going to have to find a factor besides historic inevitability.
koolba 1y ago
Forget Austria, there’s no way Greece or Cyprus would allow Turkey to join the EU.
wkat4242 1y ago
I didn't follow it back then but why did Austria block it? I would have expected Greece to do so a lot more (considering the Cyprus conflict is still unresolved)

skinnymuch 1y ago

That’s not the issue. It’s that Turks and Kurds are not considered European. Europeans are the most Islamophobic.

stodor89 1y ago
Even if these statements held any truth, they'd still be irrelevant. "The issue" was Turkey's extremely brutal treatment of Kurds.

larfus 1y ago

Disagree. The current make-up of the EU barely represents historical bonds with so many nations in it. Though a populist leader using such history as leverage is not unbelievable, official Austrian reasoning behind refusal was much more pragmatic, human rights and migrants. Turkey is a regional player punching above their weight (potentially upsetting power balance less-so economically but definitely diplomatically and militarily) and is not exactly in line with EU ideals, culturally and politically, due to years of unstability and turmoil. That being put aside, despite flaunting acceptance and democracy as their foremost goal, EU leaders surely knew not compromising on Turkey's accession would stray them farther of the EU in every way possible. And if that helps with a potentially bigger migrant crisis, so much the better.

monkeydreams 1y ago
Nations holding the region of Turkey are historically very powerful. My guess is that historical forces are reasserting themselves and that we may could see a much more assertive Turkey going forward.
- capitainenemo 1y ago
  ... due to controlling a key choke-point in land trade between europe and the middle-east and asia. That hardly applies now. The suez canal would be a better modern equivalent.
  - monkeydreams 1y ago
    > That hardly applies now. I respectfully disagree given the basic fragility of the Suez Canal system along with the fact that Egypt is not growing into a major world power on the back of their governance of this canal.
    - capitainenemo 1y ago
      No, they aren't, and there are plenty of reasons for that, not in the least because the canal is very different from a major trade city. But then, land trade is not making a comeback either. So if you're arguing for something to restore the historic importance of Troy, Constantinople etc, you're going to have to find a factor besides historic inevitability.

koolba 1y ago

Forget Austria, there’s no way Greece or Cyprus would allow Turkey to join the EU.

wkat4242 1y ago

I didn't follow it back then but why did Austria block it? I would have expected Greece to do so a lot more (considering the Cyprus conflict is still unresolved)