b'3.3.2. Turkeys candidacy for EU membership was 3.1 billion.62 This is without Turkey being a full member of the EU. Turkeys membership of the EU would confer on 73 million Turkish citizens in due course the EUs free movement of people. This means the absolute right to live, work and settle in the United Kingdom. The population of Turkey is projected to grow to 89.6 million people by 2025, and the UN estimates that Turkeys population will then continue to grow to 97.3 million by 2050.63 64 Yet, 97% of the landmass of Turkey is not in Europe at all, but in Asia.Furthermore, Turkey has porous borders with Turkey is the only country in the EU CustomsSyria, Iran, and Iraq. Turkeys borders will Union that is also a candidate for EUeffectively become the UKs borders. membership. In EU jargon, Turkey holds the status of candidate country.Neither Tim Farron, Cleggs successor as Lib Dem Leader, nor Labour Leader Jeremy The rationale for Turkey to become a full EUCorbyn (2015-2020) have similarly opined on member is unclear. The case has never beenTurkey. Nevertheless, Turkey becoming an properly made, and certainly not in DavidEU member state is still Labour and Lib Dem Camerons deeply embarrassing speech inpolicy. It is intellectually incomprehensible Ankara in July 2010, in which he said: . itthat the Conservative Party, Liberal makes me angry that your progress towardDemocrats and the Labour Party not only EU membership can be frustrated in the waysupport but are also all cheerleaders for that it has been.60 Turkeys accession to the EU.Turkey joining the EU is often justified inThe only possible explanation is that the EU terms of trade. For example, Nick Cleggwants to draw Turkey, and all other Southern at a press conference, after a fleeting visitand Eastern European countries, under its to Turkey on 4 October 2012 stated thatwing in order to protect them from Russias. [t]he UK has long supported Turkeys accession to the EU. We view this as a strategic necessity. Consumers and businesses across the EU will benefit from access to Europes main emerging market.61 On the basis of this statement, it would seem that Mr Cleggthen Deputy Prime Ministerwas unaware that Turkey has been in the EU Customs Union since 1996. If trade is indeed the rationale, it is phoney. Again, as Turkey is in the Customs Union, the UK already has all of the benefits that we can reasonably expect from trade with Turkey. Yet the UK runs a trade deficit with Turkey; in 2017, this deficit 88'