Britannia Radio

4 May 2009 British Tory MP Supports Turkish Membership of EU Open letter to Michael Gove MP House of Commons London 1 May 09 To my astonishment I have received an invitation in your name (amongst others*) inviting me to the launch of a new magazine [on 11th May] intending to support Turkey’s membership of the EU. Turkey in Europe apparently claims to be funded by ‘members’ (whoever they are) and not by governments or the EU. However, as I know rather better than most, the EU is a master at funding by circuitous routes causes that it wants to support, so that it can later claim to be responding to external pressure. More importantly, of course, is the current and prospective situation arising from Turkey’s involvement in northern Cyprus and its encouragement of illegal immigration. Again, I have the good fortune to be better informed than many, and have proved the porous nature of the green line in Cyprus for myself. Are you aware that, in addition to 40,000 armed Turkish troops, there are already two generations, and tens of thousands of fundamentally un-European Turkish settlers in Cyprus from Anatolia? Are you aware that the Turks encourage mass migration to northern Cyprus, precisely to dilute the genuine Turkish Cypriot community who now find themselves a minority inside a country where they were already a minority? Are you aware that ferries deposit thousands of economic migrants from Lebanon and Syria direct into Famagusta every week? Are you aware that the so-called border between north and south of the island is not recognised by the Greek Cypriot government in the south, and that it is not controlled?  And are you further aware that European Commissioner Rehn, who is responsible for what the EU chooses to call ‘enlargement’, has utterly failed to do anything to stop the thousands of Turks now passing into the EU and acquiring passports that allow them to make their way to Britain if they choose? Finally, might I also remind you that the French have changed their constitution so that any definitive proposal to admit Turkey to the EU will result in a national referendum. When Mr Chirac made that change he knew, and so does Mr Sarkozy, that there is virtually no chance of the French agreeing. How any Tory MP, let alone a former Times correspondent could come to support this slight-of-hand by the EU is beyond me. Ashley Mote * Other Hosts:  Denis MacShane MP, former Minister for Europe, and Graham Watson MEP, liberal democrat leader in European Parliament and candidate for next president of the EP.   To respond to, or comment on this Email, please email ashley.mote@btconnect.com