Turkey to get high speed railway.

woodspeckie · Post by **woodspeckie** » Fri 15 Feb 2013 3:32 pm

Brussels has decided to give Turkey £100million towards a new rail line connecting Istanbul to Ankara in case it joins the EU, as 2/3rds of Turkish people don't want to join the EU because they don't want to use the dodgy euro as their currency, is this a bribe to make them change their minds? This £100million is a gift not a loan and never has to be paid back, China pumps money into Turkey but it demands a return on it's investment. This money is from taxpayers and should not be given willy nilly to fund these projects. An EU official comes up with a ludicrous business plan "it will make it easier for European business men to get to Ankara to sign contracts". The journey from Istanbul to Ankara will take 3hrs 12 mins much less by plane.

iancrumpy · Post by **iancrumpy** » Fri 15 Feb 2013 8:54 pm

woodspeckie wrote:Brussels has decided to give Turkey £100million towards a new rail line connecting Istanbul to Ankara in case it joins the EU, as 2/3rds of Turkish people don't want to join the EU because they don't want to use the dodgy euro as their currency, is this a bribe to make them change their minds? This £100million is a gift not a loan and never has to be paid back, China pumps money into Turkey but it demands a return on it's investment. This money is from taxpayers and should not be given willy nilly to fund these projects. An EU official comes up with a ludicrous business plan "it will make it easier for European business men to get to Ankara to sign contracts".

Ankara now realises it doesn't need the EU - it has or can make everything it needs, and furthermore it has a young and growing population ... everything is in place for it to be one of the most economically successful countries in Europe - yes, about a third of Turks still want to join because they (particularly the ones in the east of the country) still think they can find their fortune abroad ... but in 30 years' time, their living standards will also be closer to those of western Europeans.

So, this £100million (which by the way only amounts to £1.25 for every Turk) will never change hands - Ankara will see it for what it is ... a cheap bribe.