Tweet
MARKETPLACE MORNING REPORT
SHOW: Marketplace Morning Report 7:50 AM EST SYND
May 27, 2005 Friday
Protest over Turkey becoming a member of the European Union
ANCHORS: KAI RYSSDAL
REPORTERS: STEPHEN BEARD
KAI RYSSDAL, anchor:
This is MARKETPLACE. I'm Kai Ryssdal.
There's a big election in France this weekend. It has nothing at all
to do with who runs that country, but everything to do with how
Europe runs itself. Voters will be asked to ratify or reject a new
European Union constitution, but many seem ready to turn that
referendum into a protest vote on a wide range of unrelated economic
and political issues, among them whether Turkey should be allowed
into the European Union. Stephen Beard has the story.
Unidentified Man #1: (French spoken)
Unidentified Man #2: (French spoken)
Unidentified Man #1: (French spoken)
STEPHEN BEARD reporting:
`Yes' campaigners on the streets of Paris are meeting many people who
plan to vote no to the constitution; some because they can't stomach
the thought of Turkey joining the European Union.
Mr. JACQUES MYARD (Conservative Lawmaker): It's not possible to have
80 million of Turks because we are different. It's very simple. So
the French say: Culturally, politically, we cannot accept them.
BEARD: Conservative lawmaker Jacques Myard says if a large, needy
Muslim country like Turkey is admitted, EU funds will be bankrupted
fast and the community will collapse amid rancor and perhaps even
religious conflict.
Mr. MYARD: This will not work. They are playing with fire, and they
will burn their fingers because it will explode.
BEARD: The issue has already sparked some angry protests, for a
different reason, among France's 450,000 citizens of Armenian
descent. They don't want Turkey in the EU because the Turks refuse to
acknowledge their genocide against Armenians during the First World
War. Some, like Rej Asbakian, are demanding reparations.
Mr. REJ ASBAKIAN (Protester): My family had property in Turkey which
was stolen at the time of genocide. So me and many Armenians like me
want their properties given back.
BEARD: And others, like Pasquelle Savak, say that before being
allowed to join the EU, Turkey must admit its crime the way Germany
has done.
Mr. PASQUELLE SAVAK (Protester): I don't think Germany can be a
member of Europe if she didn't recognize the Holocaust. We just want
Turkey to do the same, to recognize the Armenian Holocaust.
BEARD: The Armenian vote could sink the constitution. Meanwhile, the
US has been pressuring the EU to admit Turkey. This, the White House
believes, would help in the war on terror. It would send a positive
signal to the Arab world. The policy is wrong, says campaigner Frank
Beeyancherry.
Mr. FRANK BEEYANCHERRY (Campaigner): The Turkish, the Turks, are the
former colonial power of the Arabs. So if you want to have a good
relationship with the Arabs, you cannot choose the Turks to be the
go-between because they hate each other.
BEARD: Beeyancherry says if Turkey joins the EU, it'll still look to
the Arab world like a club of former colonizers.
Mr. BEEYANCHERRY: So it's a complete nonsense to think that the Turks
could be the bridge with the Arabs.
BEARD: Even if the French reject the constitution this weekend, that
won't automatically prevent Turkish membership. But many `no' voters
are hoping that if they block the constitution, a smaller European
Union will emerge with Turkey still outside. In Paris, this is
Stephen Beard for MARKETPLACE.
RYSSDAL: And I'm Kai Ryssdal. We will see you on Monday.
SHOW: Marketplace Morning Report 7:50 AM EST SYND
May 27, 2005 Friday
Protest over Turkey becoming a member of the European Union
ANCHORS: KAI RYSSDAL
REPORTERS: STEPHEN BEARD
KAI RYSSDAL, anchor:
This is MARKETPLACE. I'm Kai Ryssdal.
There's a big election in France this weekend. It has nothing at all
to do with who runs that country, but everything to do with how
Europe runs itself. Voters will be asked to ratify or reject a new
European Union constitution, but many seem ready to turn that
referendum into a protest vote on a wide range of unrelated economic
and political issues, among them whether Turkey should be allowed
into the European Union. Stephen Beard has the story.
Unidentified Man #1: (French spoken)
Unidentified Man #2: (French spoken)
Unidentified Man #1: (French spoken)
STEPHEN BEARD reporting:
`Yes' campaigners on the streets of Paris are meeting many people who
plan to vote no to the constitution; some because they can't stomach
the thought of Turkey joining the European Union.
Mr. JACQUES MYARD (Conservative Lawmaker): It's not possible to have
80 million of Turks because we are different. It's very simple. So
the French say: Culturally, politically, we cannot accept them.
BEARD: Conservative lawmaker Jacques Myard says if a large, needy
Muslim country like Turkey is admitted, EU funds will be bankrupted
fast and the community will collapse amid rancor and perhaps even
religious conflict.
Mr. MYARD: This will not work. They are playing with fire, and they
will burn their fingers because it will explode.
BEARD: The issue has already sparked some angry protests, for a
different reason, among France's 450,000 citizens of Armenian
descent. They don't want Turkey in the EU because the Turks refuse to
acknowledge their genocide against Armenians during the First World
War. Some, like Rej Asbakian, are demanding reparations.
Mr. REJ ASBAKIAN (Protester): My family had property in Turkey which
was stolen at the time of genocide. So me and many Armenians like me
want their properties given back.
BEARD: And others, like Pasquelle Savak, say that before being
allowed to join the EU, Turkey must admit its crime the way Germany
has done.
Mr. PASQUELLE SAVAK (Protester): I don't think Germany can be a
member of Europe if she didn't recognize the Holocaust. We just want
Turkey to do the same, to recognize the Armenian Holocaust.
BEARD: The Armenian vote could sink the constitution. Meanwhile, the
US has been pressuring the EU to admit Turkey. This, the White House
believes, would help in the war on terror. It would send a positive
signal to the Arab world. The policy is wrong, says campaigner Frank
Beeyancherry.
Mr. FRANK BEEYANCHERRY (Campaigner): The Turkish, the Turks, are the
former colonial power of the Arabs. So if you want to have a good
relationship with the Arabs, you cannot choose the Turks to be the
go-between because they hate each other.
BEARD: Beeyancherry says if Turkey joins the EU, it'll still look to
the Arab world like a club of former colonizers.
Mr. BEEYANCHERRY: So it's a complete nonsense to think that the Turks
could be the bridge with the Arabs.
BEARD: Even if the French reject the constitution this weekend, that
won't automatically prevent Turkish membership. But many `no' voters
are hoping that if they block the constitution, a smaller European
Union will emerge with Turkey still outside. In Paris, this is
Stephen Beard for MARKETPLACE.
RYSSDAL: And I'm Kai Ryssdal. We will see you on Monday.