Are you in favour of Turkey joining the EU?
Richard Ashworth MEP (SE): I am in favour of their membership provided it's a different kind of Turkey entering a different kind of EU.
Dan Hannan MEP (SE): I am in favour of Turkey being allowed to join; if I were Turkish, I would have severe doubts about the benefits.
Niina Kaariniemi (SE): Turkey need to meet the EU criteria before being invited to join. Currently they do not meet the criteria and therefore my answer is NO. We must not repeat the mistake we made by letting some of the Eastern European members joined before meeting EU standards.
Richard Robinson (SE): No. 72 million Turks have an average income about one seventh of that in Western Europe. Turkish membership of the EU would lead to unsustainable migration.
Therese Coffey (SE): Personally, Turkey feels a country and culture too far, however I recognise that the Party has long advocated membership of the EU for Turkey upon fulfilment of specified criteria and the UK should have Turkey as an ally. Indeed, the European Council of Ministers and Commission have led Turkey on with various carrots – it would be dishonest and dishonourable to backtrack due to certain European leaders trying to gain domestic political capital.
Marc Brunel-Walker (SE): I support the Conservative Party’s policy to support Turkey’s membership of the EU only when they meet in full the criteria.
Tony Devenish (SE): Our Party's position is clear to support membership when Turkey meets in full the relevant criteria.
Nirj Deva MEP (SE): Yes, subject to the country satisfying all its promises with regards to human rights and democratic reform.
Sarah Richardson (SE): I’m not confident that the EU could manage the free movement of people from Iraq to Ireland. In principle, I am in favour of Turkey joining but there are many issues to be resolved, including its human rights record. We should also develop a strategy for full membership for other countries, like Croatia, for example.
Julie Girling (SW): No - it's record on Human Rights and treatment of minorities is unacceptable as is the undue political influence of its armed forces.
Ashley Fox (SW): This is too complex an issue for a short answer. I have set out my views on Turkey on my blog.
Mike Dolley (SW): Yes, I support my party’s policy with regard to Turkish membership of the EU. I have already expanded on this subject in my blog of the 28th February via my website. I mention there how compelling I have found some of the arguments articulated by Liam Fox on this subject.
Don Collier (SW): I recognise Turkey has long been an ally of the UK and I would want to see that continue. I also recognise that it itself needs to make many changes before it is in position to apply. I am not in favour of any further enlargement until the EU has sorted its house out. The EU should be about trading not culture or political union and the rules should not need to be altered with every enlargement.
Zehra Zaidi (SW): This is a complex question. I agree with the position taken by Dr. Liam Fox MP. We need Turkey in the EU for security reasons alone. It is a key NATO ally (playing a crucial role in Afghanistan) and given the huge security challenges that we face in the world today, we cannot afford for Turkey to look eastwards instead of westwards. That said, there will be severe challenges to its accession (the Cyprus issue has to be resolved) and Turkey have to demonstrate that it has met the criteria for the accession of new member states.
Charles Tannock MEP (L): Party policy is in favour of Turkish EU membership but it will have to comply with the Copenhagen criteria and overcome the open opposition by the French President and German Chancellor.
Syed Kamall MEP (L): Yes
Nirj Deva MEP (L): Yes
Warwick Lightfoot (L): No, it would increase the costs of the Common Agricultural Policy and the regional structural development funds; raise difficulties about border control, the movement of people and migration; and there remain difficulties surrounding human rights matters, freedom of speech and judicial processes.
Bob Seely (L): Yes
Alison Sproule (L): Yes, but only if this means the fundamental restructuring of the EU away from the Federalist model and back to a free trade area where we have control over our immigration policy and laws.
Jean-Paul Floru (L): Only liberal democracies with full human rights should be allowed to join.
Marina Yannakoudakis (L): Yes, provided relevant criteria are met.
Graham Postles (L): Whilst our policy is "to support Turkey's membership of the EU when it meets in full the relevant criteria", I am concerned that for the forseeable future, in areas such as human rights and democratic conventions, Turkey may struggle to meet those "relevant criteria".
Geoffrey Van Orden MEP (E): I am broadly supportive of the process of Turkish accession but with some important qualifications. (Full answer copied into the comments below)
Jonathan Morgan (E): As a Conservative I believe in creating a wider, not deeper, Europe, which should allow countries such as Turkey, the opportunity to join and become free trade partners with us, once they meet in full the relevant criteria.
John Flack (E): We should stand by our friends and Turkey has been a good friend of the West. Once she fully meets the convergence criteria laid down (particularly on internal human rights and settlement of the Cyprus issue) it is the Conservative Party's policy to support Turkey's membership of the EU and I fully support our Policy. I would like to see changes to our own national policies that control migrant workers from other EU states.
Clare Whelan (E): It is the Conservative Party's policy to support Turkey's membership of the EU when it meets in full the relevant criteria.
Claire Strong (E): Yes but only when Turkey is ready.
Vicky Ford (E): Enlargement of the EU is a great defence against creeping federalism, but it brings enormous new challenges and potential costs. Lax controls on immigration and the open door migration policy across the EU have put huge pressures on parts of the East of England. These issues must be resolved before further enlargement is considered.
Roger Helmer MEP (EM): I see strong arguments both ways, but I am very concerned at the current threats to secularism in Turkey, and to the dilution of the UK's voting position if Turkey acceded.
George Lee (EM): It is the Conservative Party's policy to support Turkey's membership of the EU when it meets in full the relevant criteria. As and when Turkey meets the currently established relevant criteria in full, as a Conservative Party representative I would support their entry.
Fiona Bulmer (EM): Yes
Rupert Matthews (EM): Turkey has been a staunch NATO ally, but I recognise that there are some practical problems that may cause a delay to Turkey joining the EU.
Emma McClarkin (EM): I recognise that there are strong arguments both for and against, but essentially I do not believe that Turkey has enough common interests with the existing members of the EU. I am also worried about the knock-on effects of Turkey’s huge voting rights on Britain’s limited influence in Brussels. However, I do support further trade agreements with Turkey and would propose a relationship based on a partnership agreement rather than full membership at present.
Eveleigh Moore-Dutton (WM): Not yet
Anthea McIntyre (WM): Yes, but it is conditional upon them meeting certain criteria, in particular, on improving their human rights record.
Dan Dalton (WM): Yes
Evan Price (W): Subject to Turkey satisfying the relevant criteria, yes.
Emma Greenow (W): I believe that Turkey’s membership of the EU should be supported when it meets in full the relevant criteria.
Karen Robson (W): In short, yes. Diversity is a strength, but clearly it must meet the relevant criteria to do so.
Kay Swinburne (W): Today’s Turkey will hopefully be a very different nation to that which we may encounter when the time comes, in say 10 or more years, to consider their accession to the EU. In line with Conservative Party policy, I am broadly supportive of their inclusion provided that they fully meet all the entry criteria. This decision would of course be more popular (though unlikely in this timescale) should Turkey become an important economic area and provide a gateway for Middle Eastern investment into other European member states, including Wales, during this interim period.
Sir Robert Atkins MEP (NW): Subject to Turkey repealing Section 301 of its Constitution, I support the country's application to join the EU.
Alexander Williams (NW): No
Fiona Bruce (NW): It is the Conservative Party's policy to support Turkey's membership of the EU when it meets in full the relevant criteria.
Peter Wilding (NW): It is the Conservative Party's policy to support Turkey's membership of the EU when it meets in full the relevant criteria.
Martin Callanan MEP (NE): Yes
Emma Moore (NE): Turkey has made a lot of progress towards the requirements to EU membership, and I would support them joining if they meet all criteria set out to them. I am particularly encouraged by recent news that they are devoting serious academic and religious review to Islamic texts, and hope that this will enable a more liberal viewed discussion on Islam to take place in a peaceful and non-emotive way. They have shown themselves to be supportive of NATO work in Iraq, unlike so many existing EU members.
Barbara Musgrave (NE): Yes
