felix;Mahathir Mohammad, who was the P.M. of Malaysia. How does this relate to the accession of Turkey, which historically has gone out of its way to shelter Jews? Or did you not remember where most of the Jews expelled from Spain went? Did you not hear about the efforts made to protect Turkish Jews in France from the Nazi extermination?
Re police, I need only mention Stephen Lawrence and that poor Brazilian guy who was murdered by police in London. The fact is that reforming any institution takes time.
llanystumdwy; Bulgaria currently has a defence treaty with Turkey.
louella; Turks are Muslim - and their entry into the EU will ensure the rapid Islamisation of Europe. Is it only me that has noticed the high birthrates of Muslims compared to the morbid secular one?! Is anybody awake out there?!
Yes I am, and this is fear mongering rubbish!(and you are over-using exclamation points!). The population of any country or ethnic group inevitably drops as:
a) Their income goes up.
b) The percentage of girls in education goes up.
For proof, go research the fertility rates in Tunisia now and 20 years ago.
"rapid Islamisation of Europe?" means what anyway. Most Turks I knew were very happy drinking alcohol,which is more available than in a lot of American states. In any case, in an expanded EU, with a population of 620 million, how is 80 million going to be such a bogey man?
Lastly, unlike most EU members(except Poland), Turkey is growing fast, and should be able to make god use of the standard demographic transition, which gives it a large young educated labour force. Better in than out, I say.

What many seem forget is that Turkey's borders with Iraq and Syria is so porous that to allow Turkey into the EU would be an immigration disaster.
As it is at the moment you could smuggle a Bulldozer in from Iraq AND NO ONE WOULD NOTICE.
Cameron is as is usual for a Tory just thinking of short-term financial gain with total disregard for the long term interests of this country.
It is perfectly possible for us to trade with Turkey without them having EU membership.

Still people continue with this barmy scheme of wanting turkey to join the EU. Worse the only argument they have is to accuse those against them of racism. (though reading some of these comments...) Dangerous policy, trying to force policies that dont make any economic sense by waving the racist flag, only detracts from real cases of racism, worse it's likely to lead to a backlash.

Calling people racists isn't enough. Lets examine what the word racist means: irrational prejudice against nation because of their race. Where as, in fact, opposition to turkey joining the eu is a totaly rational prejudice against a nation because of basic economics. A single intrest rate policy cannot span countries as different as turkey, germany, spain, france, and denmark. I mean, get real, it can't even span the last four, never mind turkey.

Michael Foot used to say of the EU "you can't make prosperty in europe by destorying it in the UK," this may be adapted to: you cant make prosperty in the world by destroying it in europe.

What will we call the irrational, denial of rational justifications because we fear to be seen to be racists? Are we really, oh so, insecure?

It's sad because it's so superficial. And what it really implies is that we are only doing this because of a commitment to be 'seen to not be racist'. But infact, the superficial commitment cleary has no substance underneath - if we are only worried about how 'it seems' not how 'it is'.

It's just an 'inverted racism': an irrational commitment to appear not to be racist. Not a positive commitment to rationaly see that all humans are equal, and to treat people as rational beings, and to differentiate between them only ever the basis of rational justifications. Indeed this new irrationalism marks an abandonment of that positive commitment.

Racism is irrationally discriminating against people on the basis of race, this is irrationally discrimating infavour of people on the basis of race; it is not the opposite of racism, it is the countefit of it. It is not a commitment to behave towards all people regardless of their background on the basis of noting other than the facts, that necessity presses on us.

If you cannot debate an issue rationally irregardless of peoples race or religion, but instead simply piss over all rational objections because you believe that anyone who dissagrees with you is racist. Well, it's a really sad day in my life. It really busts my bubble.

It implies a commitment to being antiracist that is wholy cosmetic. Sad, sad, sad. I find it hard to believe that people who where truely committed to seeing all human being as equal in faculty and reason, would be so insecure to automatically reject any rational discussion about currency / intrest rate zones as racist.

There are many arguments for and against turkey joing the EU, some rational some less so, try presenting ANY OF THEM (it's called journalism). But if all you can do is call people racist - shallow. A shallow way to treat the argument, a shallow way to treat people who have objections, a shallow way to treat Turkish people, and a shallow way to undermine the people who are suffering from racism.

Torture: routine for Turkish police

In order to join the European Union, Turkey has 'introduced' changes to its legal system to comply with EU standards on human rights, but critics say that people are still being tortured in Turkey by the country's police.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKxEf6_A71Y&feature=player_embedded#!

Turkey should not be allowed entry into the EU until it ends its occupation of northern Cyprus.

''The EU is a club for Europeans. That is not racist it is a matter of geography.''

Along with Martinique, Guadaloupe, Renunion, French Guyana, The Azores, The Canary Islands and Madera, all well known to European Geographers.

Turkey should not be allowed entry into the EU until it admits the Armenian Genocide

I find it very suspicious that Turkey's entry to the EU is supported by those who try to screw the EU the most from within and without.

As expected, the PM confirmed his support for Turkey's bid. He is right. The moment Turkey fulfills the criteria it should join the EU. The rest is bigoted rubbish of the sort one should not read in the NS.

Turkey's membership of the EU would, for one thing, be very divisive. Bulgaria has experienced much strife with Turkey for centuries and they have an appalling record on human rights which is incompatible with EU membership. Cameron is wrong their membership application should be rejected.

I think You'll find that I'm of the demographic traditionally predisposed to republicanism. The republic is changing.

As for non-Turkish commentators, well, if you are struggling to sell Turkish stability to us, then possibly a little political housekeeping is in order, Mr Demona.

So we are concerned about Turkeys Human rights abuses and Genocide: Lets not forget that Germany with its recent history would make any of Turkeys crimes pale in comparison, and as most of the members of the EU have powerful colonial and imperial pasts full of episodes of oppression and violence against the colonized, who are they to judge. This country wants to move forward, we should embrace an Islamic culture that wants to be perceived as European, not shun it!

Can we perhaps hear a little less on NS about what Cameron is doing right?......I feel sure there are a multitude of wrongs that can be cited for people to comment upon!