Turkey entry splits EU executive

Deep European Commission splits emerged during a heated four hour debate on Turkey’s EU membership bid – including objections from Europe’s new enlargement chief, Olli Rehn.

The Finn lined up with seven colleagues to mount resistance to Brussels chief Romano Prodi and current enlargement chief Günter Verhuegen.

Rehn takes over Europe’s enlargement job on November 1 and must pilot Turkey’s EU entry proposal through a difficult EU summit in December.

He has described fears of mass migration from Turkey after EU membership as "more or less justified".

Frits Bolkestein led hardliners in a battle against Turkey: “the only one with any balls”, reports the Independent. 

The Dutch internal market commissioner shocked colleagues last month with a speech warning that an invasion of Turkish migrants could lead to an Islamic Europe.

French trade commissioner Pascal Lamy also opposed Ankara’s membership bid, in what Figaro describes as a “last ditch struggle”. 

Lamy told colleagues that Turkey was “not yet ready” for EU membership, urging the commission to consider a “privileged partnership” for Ankara.

“All were very astonished by his attitude. He laid down conditions that seemed clearly opposed with the opening of the negotiations with Ankara,” another commissioner told Figaro.

Jacques Barrot, current EU regional policy chief and future commission vice-president, also had problems.

“Barrot also has reservations, but his requests were more reasonable. On the basic principle of the recommendation, he agreed, because it corresponds completely to the Chirac line,” reported the French newspaper.

German budget commissioner Michaele Schreyer insisted, reports Die Welt, “there is no requirement for equal treatment” of Ankara’s entry bid.

Europe’s agriculture chief Franz Fischler restated his objections – a leaked letter categorically opposing Ankara from the Austrian caused Turkish markets to crash last month.

Also registering opposition were: Spanish vice-president, and transport commissioner Loyola de Palacio; Slovakia’s Jan Figel and Greek Cypriot Markos Kyprionou.

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