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Ok, I have to ask this question as it's one that's been a hot topic among many of my friends for a long time.

Should Turkey be given admittance into Europe?

I'm sorry but what the heck? Are you seriously telling me that you could drive all the way from the UK to the borders of Iran?

The motivation is obviously money and I wonder how many arab nations are backing them to get a foot-hold into Europe. All 25 member countries have to agree to the membership and many don't want them to have full membership.

Would not letting them in cause tensions between Christian and Muslim countries? And can you seriously have a country a member of the EU where 40% of the population think honour killings of women are acceptable?

Would Turkey be willing to accept all EU laws, rules and regulations?

Interesting topic ...

it really depends on what are the objectives of the European Union ..

If you talk to a Turk they will tell you how much turkey as improved .. especially in the areas of legistlation and democracy since they started exploring the idea of joining the european union. At this point Turkey has met all the political criterea set by the EU to join .. and it would hurt the EUs credibility to just turn them away ..

Ofcourse Turkey has one of Europe's fastest-growing economies and a dynamic, youthful population which could help the otherwise stagnant economies of Europe.

On the other hand there is the fact that Turkey would be the biggest EU member by the time it joins. It would thus get the largest number of votes in the European Council and field the largest number of deputies in the European Parliament a situation likely to scare an already nervous European public.

MaaaD
Despite your post in the controvertial Godly question, I really like you analysis here, and i do agree with you.

Chocoholic,
2 points,
1) UK is not part of the EU
2) Turkey is not a Muslim Nation, for God sake the head cover (hijab) is forbidden in governmental institutes and parliment. (now talk about democracy as you wish)

And my opinion.....
you asked "Should" i belive it "Shouldn't".
Whether you ask if it deserves.. i really don't have a clue

I am well aware that the UK is not fully part of Europe and thank goodness for that. What I meant was everyone with a European passport, as we hold in the UK would be able to pass all the way from country to another.

Although Turkey is a secular country and there is no state religion, 97% of the population class themselves as muslim or followers of Islam.

I don't know they're gaining quite a bit of support for it, but some countries are going to have major issues with them, maybe it would be best if they had like an associate membership without being full members to see if they can actually fall into line.

Chocoholic wrote:Ok, I have to ask this question as it's one that's been a hot topic among many of my friends for a long time.

Should Turkey be given admittance into Europe?

I'm sorry but what the heck? Are you seriously telling me that you could drive all the way from the UK to the borders of Iran?

The motivation is obviously money and I wonder how many arab nations are backing them to get a foot-hold into Europe. All 25 member countries have to agree to the membership and many don't want them to have full membership.

Would not letting them in cause tensions between Christian and Muslim countries? And can you seriously have a country a member of the EU where 40% of the population think honour killings of women are acceptable?

Would Turkey be willing to accept all EU laws, rules and regulations?

1) Turkey should join the EU if it wishes. But I would be against them joining if it meant them begging to get in on hands and knees.

2) And whats wrong with extending the borders. Please Cyprus is no more European than Greece or Turkey. To think otherwise is synonymous to saying that the sky is pink.

3) Arab nations are not backing Turkey. On the contrary, given the chance, most arab countries have an axe to grond with Turkey as a result of the Ottamon Empire when we were second class citizens.

4) Turkey is in better position to join than either Greece, Spain or Portugal were when they got in. To say nothing of Romania or Bulgaria... please!

5) Turkey is already changing most of its laws and has changed many of them.

If the EU rejects Turkey then it is doing itself a disservice.

i) It will be viewed as a Christian only club
ii) Claiming that Turkey is not in Europe is a mute point. Cyprus is closer to Lebanon (1 hour boat ride), than it is to a EU country. Europeans will look like geographic buffoons.
ii) It will throw Turkey into the arms of the Arabs and Iran. Turkey has already asked for observer status in the Arab League and has got it. And its not even Arab!! Now Turkey being thrown in the hands of the Arabs is not a bad thing, but I doubt Europe would want that.

I am ready for rebukes!!

PS - I am Arab and the Turks commited many bad things in Arab lands in the past so I am not what you would call a Turk lover. But someone who sees things as they are...

Well it's cetainly interesting I guess we have to wait and see. No problem with the borders of Europe being extended at all but wondering how far it'll all go and whether it'll just end up being a big mess.

Agree with liban on every single point.

Arab countries don't back up Turkey. but i think it doesn't have to do with Ottamon empire, but just simply Turkey is not Arab, nor Muslim country.... They backed up USA in Iraq war and wanted piece of the pie.
We also don't like Turkey because truning to be secular country. Attatork we consider as traitor to Islam, while they consider him a hero. He abondoned Azan (call for prayer) in arabic and removed arabic language from Turkey (this what i know, it might be wrong) then came the new government to make it illegal to wear head cover and refused a congress lady to enter with head cover, what a country. Please no offense to fellow turkish people, but i don't like their government nor their "liberal thoughts" concerning islam and secular country.
May be that is my opinion and may be it is wrong.

How far the boarders should go... Well, i think there should be a limit, and If turkey joined, it would be more than enough.

[/quote]

Chocoholic wrote:Well it's cetainly interesting I guess we have to wait and see. No problem with the borders of Europe being extended at all but wondering how far it'll all go and whether it'll just end up being a big mess.

It is interesting indeed!!

yshimy, most Turks outside Insanbul are good, conservative Muslims. It is the people in Anatolia that Europe fears probably and not those across the Bosphorus.

Kamal Attaturk is a swine and evin if he is the "father" of the modern Turkish nation he is also the scurge of Turkey itself. Many government policies (spawned by Attaturk) are disliked by the populace but its the army that controls secularism in Turkey and not the civilian government. The army is very powerful in the consititution set up by Kamal himself.

It is a shame that Turkey removed the Azan in arabic because thats the only way a true Azan can be said (there are moves by the current more Islamic government to return to the Arabic Azan).

As for the language, they always spoke Turkish but used Arabic calligraphy just as many other non-Arab nations do. By changing their calligraphy they suffered years of high illiteracy rates just to become more "western", I think that was a very dumb move also.

Actually, the UK is a member of the EU. However, the UK is not in the Euro-zone i.e. the pound is still being used rather than the Euro currency.

EastWestExpat wrote:Actually, the UK is a member of the EU. However, the UK is not in the Euro-zone i.e. the pound is still being used rather than the Euro currency.

You are correct. Take a bow...

yshimy wrote:Agree with liban on every single point.

Arab countries don't back up Turkey. but i think it doesn't have to do with Ottamon empire, but just simply Turkey is not Arab, nor Muslim country.... They backed up USA in Iraq war and wanted piece of the pie.
We also don't like Turkey because truning to be secular country. Attatork we consider as traitor to Islam, while they consider him a hero. He abondoned Azan (call for prayer) in arabic and removed arabic language from Turkey (this what i know, it might be wrong) then came the new government to make it illegal to wear head cover and refused a congress lady to enter with head cover, what a country. Please no offense to fellow turkish people, but i don't like their government nor their "liberal thoughts" concerning islam and secular country.
May be that is my opinion and may be it is wrong.

How far the boarders should go... Well, i think there should be a limit, and If turkey joined, it would be more than enough.

[/quote]

yep u r rite here. Turkey is becoming too liberal . u should have seen the so-called "modern" part of turkey. Well as far as Liban's complain of Turks torturing arabs well any nation would do that. take for example if u read the atrocities done by Iraqis to Kuwaitis in "matyrs day" you will be ed- but this crime was commited by an Arab to an Arab. But ppl say Iraqis against Kuwatis. If you read the history ,you will see commin trend- i.e no matter how much good a conquesting empire has done to colonies, a single blunder can tarnish the whole image. this is true even on personal basis - bad deeds or vices are more conspicuous to others than good.