Although roughly 20 percent of Türkiye's population opposes the country's bid to join the European Union, that bloc of opinion is split between the far left and the far right, with both sides reaching similar conclusions through very different arguments.
Dogu Perincek, president of the small, unrepresented Workers' Party and a longtime Maoist, argues that membership would reduce Türkiye to a dependent province of Europe. He blames Türkiye's economic troubles on abandoning the secular, nationalist principles of republic founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and insists EU leaders will never admit Türkiye regardless of what concessions it offers.
From the nationalist right, Mehmet Sandir, a senior figure in the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), calls for an immediate halt to the accession process. He contends that EU pressure to recognize Kurds and Alevis as minorities threatens national unity, and that Türkiye should make no concessions on its foundational cultural or religious values.
Both parties currently lack parliamentary seats. The MHP fell short of the 10-percent electoral threshold in 2002, while the Workers' Party has no parliamentary representation at all.
Younger activists on the left add a separate concern: that citizens are poorly informed about the EU, and that the bloc itself may cease to be a meaningful political or economic entity within the 20 to 25 years Türkiye's accession could take.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in December 2004, in its own words.