Cold Turkey

Where is the UK debate on Turkish membership of the European Union? Tony Blair has claimed that Turkish membership is important for EU security despite bordering Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Would Turkey be part of the Schengen agreement on the free movement of people around Europe?

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw goes further and suggests Turkish entry is inevitable, "There's been a strategic decision made by the European Union that Turkey's future lies in Europe, and that our strategic interests lie in that happening,".

No wonder so many 'ordinary' voters are hostile to the European Project when the political elite refuses to listen to them. A Eurobarometer opinion poll indicates that 52 percent of Europeans are against offering EU membership to Turkey, with only 35 percent in favour.