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Keskin: Turkey Not Yet Ripe For EU Membership

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  • Keskin: Turkey Not Yet Ripe For EU Membership

    KESKIN: TURKEY NOT YET RIPE FOR EU MEMBERSHIP

    German news agency DDP
    Aug 1 2008

    Osnabrueck - In the view of Turkish human rights activist and
    Aachen Peace Award Winner Eren Keskin, Turkey is "not nearly ripe for
    accession to the European Union," even though the ban of the governing
    Justice and Development Party (AKP) had not materialized. "There is no
    freedom of opinion and no culture to express ideas freely. There are
    still incidents of torture," she told [the daily] Neue Osnabruecker
    Zeitung in its Wednesday [30 July] edition. Those daring to address
    sensitive political issues such as the problem of Cyprus "run the
    risk of ending up in jail." The same applied to how the massacres
    perpetrated against the Armenians are dealt with.

    The lawyer, who is of Kurdish descent, regarded "the power of the
    military" as a crucial obstacle in the way of her country's speedy EU
    membership. "We are still ruled by a constitution that was drafted
    by the military." The armed forces are largely in control of the
    economy, the judiciary, and the media, she said. The influence of
    the military is so huge "that even ordinary people in our country
    have an unbelievable confidence in the military." According to her,
    that even applies to the leftwing opposition Kemalists. "Even they
    are under the mistaken belief that the military guaranteed the future
    of Turkey," she pointed out.
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