EU: Turkish Membership

Viscount Hailsham Excerpts

Wednesday 25th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anelay of St Johns]

I wholeheartedly agree that that process should continue. I give that undertaking.

[Viscount Hailsham (Con)]

My Lords, would my noble friend agree that, while there are many substantial reasons against the accession of Turkey to the European Union, perhaps the most important is that there is a real danger that it would greatly increase right-wing extremism within the Union? That would be profoundly destabilising for us all.

[Baroness Anelay of St Johns]

My Lords, as I already outlined, in our view, for Turkey to achieve entitlement to accession to the European Union, it has a very long path to tread to meet the norms of human rights, and in economic terms. As each of the 35 chapters may be opened and closed, every member state has the opportunity for a veto. Any concerns that my noble friend has should be allayed by the fact that the process is clear and careful. We have the opportunity to explain to Turkey that it must achieve high standards of human rights, including avoiding political extremism, before it achieves accession.