Accession to EU could undermine Turkey’s sovereignty: Iran MP

Turkey entered formal membership talks with the European Union in 2005.

An Iranian lawmaker says Turkey should honor its own sovereignty and be aware about the ramifications of adopting submissive policies aimed at laying the groundwork for its accession to the European Union.

Mansour Haqiqatpour, a member of Iran’s Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said on Friday, “Turkey must not trade its sovereignty for membership in the European Union.”

The Iranian lawmaker made the comment in reference to recent remarks by German Chancellor Angela Merkel about Turkey’s accession to the EU.

In her last week visit to Turkey, Merkel called for resumption of negotiations for Ankara’s accession to the EU despite objections both within the German ruling party and in other European countries against Turkey’s membership.

“Turkey must find its own indigenous model of development and it should not appeal for the West’s help for attaining progress, because that undermines the dignity of the Turkish nation,” Haqiqatpour said.

“For years, the Turkish government has gone to any lengths by adopting numerous initiatives, applying constant changes to its economic laws and trying to adapt itself to the liberal-democracy culture.”

“When the Europeans witness Turkey’s passion for accession to the EU, they easily impose any kind of law on the country which ensures the West’s interests and inflicts damage to the Turkish economy and culture,” the Iranian lawmaker pointed out.

He alluded to the exacerbating economic crisis across the EU, including in Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy and said, “By witnessing the conditions of these countries, Turkey must conclude that membership in this bankrupt union will worsen the country’s condition instead of improving it.”

An opinion poll conducted by the Turkish Bosforo University between December 15 and 17, 2012, showed that 59 percent of the people in Turkey do not agree with its membership in the EU.

A similar opinion poll conducted in 2003 showed that 73 percent of the Turkish people welcomed the membership and only 27 percent of the respondents rejected the bid.

Turkey, which straddles Asia and Europe, entered formal membership talks with the European Union in 2005, but reluctance among some EU states on the matter has slowed the process to a near standstill.

ASH/HSN/MA

via PressTV – Accession to EU could undermine Turkey’s sovereignty: Iran MP.