‘Don’t be afraid, it’s not the Turks. It’s only the moon and the evening star.’ In 2004, the German cartoonist, Walter Hanel, illustrates the fears of some of the European general public at Turkey’s possible accession to the European Union.
‘New members are arriving.’ In 2005, the cartoonist, Fritz Behrendt, illustrates the awkward position of José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, with regard to the issue of Turkey’s application for accession to the European Union.
On 9 January 2006, at a press conference held in Vienna after a working meeting between the Austrian Government and the European Commission, Wolfgang Schüssel, Austrian Chancellor and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, sets out the terms for the opening of negotiations with Turkey on accession to the European Union.