Angela Merkel's offer to Turkey: EU membership in exchange for solving the migrant crisis

There really isn't any groundwork for Turkey joining the European Union.
They aren't truly European, and geographically speaking, they barely touch European soil...

Turkey already holds all those preferential trade agreements with the EU, plus their diplomatic ties are solid. It’s a win-win situation for both the Turkish economy and the Union.

Erdogan knows full well that EU membership isn't happening. So, he’s perfectly justified in squeezing every bit of value out of the current setup—demanding financial aid for the nearly 2 million refugees being hosted by Turkey, while pushing for easier visa rules for Turkish citizens.

That’s basically the whole story...

Nancy Smith15 said:It all comes down to Germany being terrified that they’d lose their spot as the biggest heavyweight in the European Parliament if things actually moved forward.
Basically, it's just a way to say goodbye to German dominance and hello to Turkish influence taking over instead...

Germany is one part of it.
The other part? France... specifically that massive, influential Armenian diaspora with deep pockets and political ties right at the top of the French government.

Paul Thomas46 said:Personally, I'm still rooting for full membership.
It sends a powerful message to the neighboring nations—that anything is possible if we pull together. Things are messy right now, and we need to fix them. In my view, stabilizing that entire region won't happen without Turkey acting as a sort of guiding star... especially since most people globally have no clue what's actually happening on the ground there. They resort to violence because they lack any other way to be heard. It's a simplification, perhaps, but that's the core of it. Honestly, I'd much rather see the strongest power in that Islamic world tied to Europe than just wandering aimlessly—mostly for our own sake.

So, if Greece could join based on political decisions (and us along with them, in that regard), then the Turks can too. (And honestly, the economy isn't even the main issue, given they're doing better than us, the Greeks (🤣), Romanians, and Bulgarians combined 🙄).

First off, none of that has anything to do with EU membership.
There's no logic there... by that reasoning, we should just let Morocco join the EU. They border Spain, after all, and it would send a "unity" signal to Islamists in the Sahel. As if they'd suddenly fall in line just because of that!
If we take Morocco, what's next? Algeria? 😁

Second, Turkey isn't just wandering around. Turkey is a NATO member.
And look, the issue is even more complex... Turks aren't Arabs, and you've still got Shia Iran in the mix within the Islamic world.
So, should we just invite the Islamic Republic of Iran into the EU too? 😁

Sam Alvarez4 said:Germany is one part of it.
The other part? France... specifically that massive, influential Armenian diaspora with deep pockets and political ties right at the top of the French government.

First off, none of that has anything to do with EU membership.
There's no logic there... by that reasoning, we should just let Morocco join the EU. They border Spain, after all, and it would send a "unity" signal to Islamists in the Sahel. As if they'd suddenly fall in line just because of that!
If we take Morocco, what's next? Algeria? 😁

Second, Turkey isn't just wandering around. Turkey is a NATO member.
And look, the issue is even more complex... Turks aren't Arabs, and you've still got Shia Iran in the mix within the Islamic world.
So, should we just invite the Islamic Republic of Iran into the EU too? 😁

Everyone into the EU! Everyone into the EU! I suppose it would be much better for them than it is for us Americans. 🤣 🤣 🤣

Sam Alvarez4 said:Germany is one part of it.
The other part? France... specifically that massive, influential Armenian diaspora with deep pockets and political ties right at the top of the French government.

First off, none of that has anything to do with EU membership.
There's no logic there... by that reasoning, we should just let Morocco join the EU. They border Spain, after all, and it would send a "unity" signal to Islamists in the Sahel. As if they'd suddenly fall in line just because of that!
If we take Morocco, what's next? Algeria? 😁

Second, Turkey isn't just wandering around. Turkey is a NATO member.
And look, the issue is even more complex... Turks aren't Arabs, and you've still got Shia Iran in the mix within the Islamic world.
So, should we just invite the Islamic Republic of Iran into the EU too? 😁

Where on earth did you get the idea that there’s some sort of logic to follow here?
There isn't one. There is one Turkey—it's not like there are 500 of them. Morocco isn't Turkey, and Iran certainly isn't Turkey. We aren't Canada or Canada. There is no "logic" involved—that's just not how things work...
It's always fascinating to see someone try to appeal to some imaginary logic or consistency when it comes to international politics.

And by the way, Turkey is retreating.

Nicole Barrett76 said:I am of the opinion that the core issue isn't strictly about whether Turkey joins the European Union or not; rather, it seems to stem from the complex dynamics of Turkish-Kurdish relations. Is it truly wise to grant them membership? Perhaps the most beneficial path for all parties involved would be for Turkey to assume a role as an observer or a special partner, wouldn't you agree?

In your estimation, which entity possesses a greater vested interest in the fragmentation of Europe: Russia or the USA?

USA

Paul Thomas46 said:Turkey really should have joined the European Union ages ago—though who knows why it was blocked or who was pulling the strings...
If they had settled this ten years back, things would likely look much different today (and certainly better). It’ll probably be quite a while before the dust settles and everyone truly realizes the cost of stalling their progress.

Compared to its neighbors in the Arab world, Turkey is a true economic and cultural powerhouse—joining the European Union would have only amplified that strength and potentially boosted its influence across the Middle East. When it comes to Islamic nations, they should have been leading those "spring" movements—since it’s now painfully obvious that the others there are just standing around like deer in headlights.

Turkey doesn't fit the EU mold at all. Look at their human rights record. Don't forget the unresolved issues with the Kurds or their neighbors, or the fact that they only seem "stable" because the military used to hold all the cards. They are worlds apart from the EU standards—far more distant than Bulgaria or Romania, which were basically forced in. Then you add the layer of fear many countries feel toward a Muslim giant that would enter as an equal player.

I’m honestly dying to see how Greece and Cyprus are going to play this one

Europe just isn't ready to take in Turkey yet.
Turkey isn't quite prepared to join the European Union either..
No.
Not now, and not anytime soon.
It’s just the way things are.

Honestly, I think this is nothing more than empty political promises. It feels pretty paradoxical, too—what kind of sense does it make to have Turkey join the EU when they’re dealing with millions of migrants?
Then you have millions of people from rural areas who come from much more traditional backgrounds, similar to some of the remote parts of the Appalachians...
Until we address our own internal social issues, we shouldn't even be talking about Turkey joining us!
Absolutely not!

What Turkey really needs is help managing the migration situation. We should be actively assisting them in building a stronger civil society and protecting human rights. They need to educate the Turks, break down those closed-off mindsets, and really root out that old-school provincialism...

Megan Hernandez2 said:Turkey doesn't fit the EU mold at all. Look at their human rights record. Don't forget the unresolved issues with the Kurds or their neighbors, or the fact that they only seem "stable" because the military used to hold all the cards. They are worlds apart from the EU standards—far more distant than Bulgaria or Romania, which were basically forced in. Then you add the layer of fear many countries feel toward a Muslim giant that would enter as an equal player.

Look, to put it simply:
either Europe expands its reach into the Middle East & Co
or the Middle East & Co begins expanding into Europe
(isolation isn't really an option here—they're just too close geographically, and the internet makes sure everything is connected)

Given how things are playing out today, what is the actual endgame?

In my view, Turkey remains the only—and I mean truly the only—viable way for Europe to maintain any influence in the Middle East & Co. Everything else seems to be a total failure (including those military interventions that clearly lead nowhere), which we see proven hour after hour.
There isn't another bridge available, nor is there anyone else over there capable of nudging them toward a more moderate path. They might as well just be the "regional leaders."

So, I'll say it again: this is a political decision. It's not about them—it's about us...

As for the fear regarding an Islamic giant... well, what can I say? That giant is already standing right there. You just have to choose the lesser of two evils...

Let's say Turkey becomes the regional powerhouse. Even if they manage to push out Iran from the area... which, let's be honest, isn't happening.
They'll be influential, sure, but a true leader? That's a stretch...

But none of that actually changes anything regarding EU membership.

It’s been barely 25 years, and yet this group is already acting like they’re the undisputed leaders of Europe, thinking they can just dictate their own agendas and policies to everyone else.
They are stirring up unrest across the continent on a scale we haven't seen since World War II.
Angela Merkel claims she’ll accept every single migrant coming through, essentially forcing every other nation on that route to suffer just to satisfy her personal whims.
Now, she’s suggesting that Turkey will be fast-tracked into the European Union simply because she—Germany—decided to broker the deal.

The rest of the European Union just sits there in silence, nodding along like obedient children.
Honestly, someone needs to re-occupy Germany and split it back into East and West.

Unfortunately, history has already proven that a unified Germany cannot exist without triggering absolute chaos throughout Europe.☕

Merkelica is losing her mind.
Seriously, do we actually want to invite a quasi-dictatorship into the European Union? We’re talking about a place where basic human rights are systematically trampled upon and a bomb goes off every other day.

I’m honestly starting to get why the Germans lost both World Wars... It’s a total mystery how such a talented nation can have absolutely zero sense of strategy.

I guess the Turks might be the only ground force in the region capable of actually settling things in Syria in favor of the USA, given how everything looks on the ground right now. It feels like this proposal was drafted elsewhere, likely intended to rebuild the significant trust Turkey has lost with the West. Maybe if they get the green light and some EU support, they'd be willing to step up and foot the bill for the conflict, provided they're given a free hand to handle the Kurdish issue.

Tyler Campbell said:Brilliant plan!😁 As an EU member, Turkey could basically export refugees along with their own citizens to any country in the union.

Up until now, those fake Syrian passports were the big prize for getting into Germany. But once Merkel removes the visa requirements for Turks heading to Deutschland, I guess those Turkish passports are going to be the new hot commodity.😛

It’s just the same old story—everyone, young and old, heading straight into the circus in Colorado, if you remember that old song.😁

Gary Perez7 said:It’s been barely 25 years, and yet this group is already acting like they’re the undisputed leaders of Europe, thinking they can just dictate their own agendas and policies to everyone else.
They are stirring up unrest across the continent on a scale we haven't seen since World War II.
Angela Merkel claims she’ll accept every single migrant coming through, essentially forcing every other nation on that route to suffer just to satisfy her personal whims.
Now, she’s suggesting that Turkey will be fast-tracked into the European Union simply because she—Germany—decided to broker the deal.

The rest of the European Union just sits there in silence, nodding along like obedient children.
Honestly, someone needs to re-occupy Germany and split it back into East and West.

Unfortunately, history has already proven that a unified Germany cannot exist without triggering absolute chaos throughout Europe.☕

I’m signing off on that bolded part with zero hesitation. You basically gave us the solution earlier. In fact, certain parts of Germany—like Bavaria—could actually pull a profit from it. Let's face it, Germany is an artificial construct anyway, with massive divides between the East and West, especially when you look at the gap between the Protestant North and Catholic South.

Brian Baker4 said:I’m signing off on that bolded part with zero hesitation. You basically gave us the solution earlier. In fact, certain parts of Germany—like Bavaria—could actually pull a profit from it. Let's face it, Germany is an artificial construct anyway, with massive divides between the East and West, especially when you look at the gap between the Protestant North and Catholic South.

Can anyone here point to a single example of a "natural" nation-state?
If you're willing to look all the way back to the dawn of civilization...

@Joshua Diaz18 yeah, you caught me there. Look, obviously all countries are artificial constructs. There’s no such thing as a "natural" state. What I was actually getting at were those deeper stuff—cultural vibes, regional identities, history, language, all that jazz.

The only truly "natural" communities you'll find are among primitive tribes, like some group living deep in the Amazon rainforest.

You could honestly throw the label "artificial state" at a bunch of other places in Europe, take Belgium for example. But yeah, it's true that states formed in the late 1800s or later just don't have that deep historical continuity you see in those older communities—state-run or otherwise—that have been hanging around for over ten centuries.

Brian Baker4 said:@Joshua Diaz18 yeah, you caught me there. Look, obviously all countries are artificial constructs. There’s no such thing as a "natural" state. What I was actually getting at were those deeper stuff—cultural vibes, regional identities, history, language, all that jazz.

The only truly "natural" communities you'll find are among primitive tribes, like some group living deep in the Amazon rainforest.

You could honestly throw the label "artificial state" at a bunch of other places in Europe, take Belgium for example. But yeah, it's true that states formed in the late 1800s or later just don't have that deep historical continuity you see in those older communities—state-run or otherwise—that have been hanging around for over ten centuries.

Perhaps the most "artificial" state that has nonetheless managed to persist for ten centuries or more is Vatican City.

.

Imagine trying to fix an illegal immigration crisis by inviting a nation of 80 million potential migrants into the European Union?! 🤦 Everything we're seeing right now would be a mere spark compared to the wildfire that would erupt if Turkey actually joined the EU. It feels like they've fallen right into the trap set by that Islamist leader Erdogan—the one still dreaming about rebuilding the Ottoman Empire.

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Turkey is an Asian Muslim nation of 80 million people, governed by an Islamist party. They aren't going to join the European Union, nor do they truly belong in Europe.

Anyone claiming otherwise clearly doesn't grasp the internal power dynamics within Europe. Honestly, I don't even get why Turks are pushing so hard to go somewhere that clearly doesn't want them.

The European Union doesn't have an issue with Turkey; the problem lies with the far-left liberal leadership in the European Commission. Instead of securing their external borders, they prefer playing the part of self-righteous humanitarians.

How did Australia handle its illegal migration issues? Or Canada?! They had decisive leaders who refused to let dishonest media outlets dictate their policy.

The fact that little Merkel is "offering" things to Turks on behalf of the European Union just shows how the EU is slowly morphing into a fourth Reich.

For the third time in a century, Germans are sowing chaos and conflict across Europe with their extremism.

Look, the Chancellor isn't some dictator running the whole European Union, so she can't just call all the shots on her own. Plus, nobody's actually going to back her up if she tries.

The Greeks, Cyprus, and half the rest of the continent—especially France—are never going to let Turkey into the EU. Honestly, there’s probably going to be a massive fallout or a total leadership shakeup within her own party before they ever see that happen.