Turkish accession to the EU is apparently no more than a dream of those who desire it at
present, but it remains a point of contention across Europe. The British government, for instance, are in favour of enlargement, believing Turkey’s economy to be essential to Europe’s
continued economic strength. Accession would also hamper the goal of political integration in the EU, which is expedient to Britain.
Not everyone in Britain shares the government’s unqualified enthusiasm for Turkey. The Home Affairs Committee has issued a report this morning, criticising aspects of the government’s policy and insisting on careful management of accession. Specifically, the committee argues that the errors made when EU enlargement extended to the Eastern Bloc in 2004 must be avoided. The committee estimate that 500,000 to 4.4 million Turks would migrate to other areas of the union within 10 years of accession unless transitional constraints are imposed.
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