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Mystery Over Turkish Bid for Shanghai Five Membership

Turkey’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would not only fail to make any contribution to Turkish democracy, but might be a setback to recent progress, writes Kadri Gursel.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan talks during the opening ceremony of government communication forum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates February 24, 2013. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Tags: POLITICS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) - RTR3E7DY
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The debate in Turkey over the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was triggered by the answer Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave when he was asked whether “Turkey has forgotten the EU process” during a TV interview Jan. 25. The premier first said: “It is out of the question for us to forget or waste the EU process. It is the EU who wants to forget us, but they are hesitating and not forgetting us. We would be relieved if they openly say it at long last.”

 

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