Dutch official: "Europeans should not fear Turkish accession"

At a conference on media and cultural diversity in Rotterdam yesterday, Dutch Minister for European Affairs Frans Timmermans said European fears that Turks will inundate Europe if their country joins the European Union are unfounded, adding that by the time their country is qualified for accession Turks will not feel the need to migrate to Europe. In an interview with Today's Zaman, Timmermans said that some Europeans who fear the prospect of EU membership for Turkey, a country of 70 million, mistakenly believe that it will enter the bloc tomorrow. Given how Turkey's accession will likely take another 10-15 years, Timmermans said by then the country's circumstances will have changed greatly, eliminating the need for Turks to migrate to Europe in search of a better standard of living.