Britain caves in on talks over Turkey joining EU
BRITAIN last night caved in on Turkey, agreeing to let it take another step towards full EU membership.
During talks in Brussels, UK diplomats initially resisted allowing the country to open a new phase in its negotiations with the EU. But within only a few hours, Britain backed down.
Leave campaigners said it made a mockery of claims by David Cameron that Turkey is not on course to join until ‘the year 3000’. Talks over whether Turkey can satisfy financial and budgetary rules on European Union membership could now begin as early as June 24 – the day after the referendum.
The U-turn was revealed by the pro-EU Financial Times – which accused the Government of ‘diplomatic acrobatics’. One eurozone diplomat was reported saying of Britain: ‘It is like they are scared of their own shadow.’
The Prime Minister has hardened his language on Turkish membership in recent weeks after it became a huge issue in the referendum campaign. However, Leave campaigners point out that he has stopped short of changing the Government’s official position – which is to support Turkey’s membership of the EU.
The campaign group Migration Watch has warned an extra 100,000 Turks would flock to Britain every year if the Muslim country became a full EU member. The numbers coming here under free movement rules would be ‘inevitable, substantial and sustained,’ it claimed.
In one scenario, Turkey would get EU status by 2024, with ‘transitional controls’ restricting arrivals to 30,000 being lifted in 2031, when 100,000 a year will come. It predicted more than 710,000 Turkish citizens would head to the UK by 2035, many lured by the National Living Wage which towers over pay back home.
Earlier this week, leaked papers suggested that British diplomats have already secretly discussed granting visa-free travel to the UK for 1.5million Turks.
Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: ‘This is the second time this week that the Government’s plans to accelerate visa-free travel and EU membership for Turkey have been revealed.
‘David Cameron said he wants to “pave the road from Ankara” and the Brussels negotiations to make this happen are well under way. It is now abundantly clear that the only way to take back control of our borders is to Vote Leave on June 23.’
Last month, Mr Cameron said ‘it would be decades, literally decades’ before Turkey joins the EU. But Vote Leave released a video of footage in which the he had spoken out in favour of Turkish membership.
In 2005, as leader of the Opposition, he complained that progress had been ‘ desperately slow’. And, after becoming Prime Minister in 2010, he upped his backing for the Turks joining the EU significantly. He said: ‘ This is something I feel very strongly and very passionately about. Together I want us to pave the road from Ankara to Brussels.’
During a referendum debate last night, Boris Johnson said: ‘ People feel they haven’t given democratic consent to what is happening [with immigration]. It is because we don’t have control.’
Before it can join the EU, Turkey must satisfy the EU it is making progress in 35 different areas, known as chapters. So far it has closed one of the chapters – science and research. ÷ The number of lone children making the treacherous crossing from North Africa to Europe has doubled this year, it has been revealed.
A Unicef report said more than 7,000 unaccompanied minors have arrived in Italy in the first five months of this year after taking migrant boats across the Mediterranean.
‘We don’t have control’