An interesting article, and I have to agree with allot of it. People can say Turkey is part of Asia, but Istanbul is a city divided between Europe and Asia, thereby making Turkey are part of Europe as well.
Turkey is part of Europe. Fear keeps it out of the EU | Comment is free | The Guardian
It is an interesting article. Having recently been in Istanbul on business I was also thinking about this very issue. Istanbul is an awesome city. A bridge between Asia and Europe, Christians and Muslims, an ancient city with one of the youngest populations in Europe. Turks are hungry and motivated and their recent economic success is testimony to the passion of an old nation that is young at heart. At the same I was shocked at the level of censorship in the country, the restrictions in the bureaucracy and that most Turkish people were not free in the most meaningful sense.
There are a number of different dimensions in my view here to the question about Turkey joining the EU. But broadly I am in favour.
1) What would be the effect on the rest of us in the EU?
2) What about all those Muslims - wouldn't Christian Europe simply be swamped?
3) What would it do to Turkey?
1) My understanding of what Europe was always meant to be was a loose economic alliance which by building links between peoples would stop them killing each other instead. It was formed against the background of the horrible bloodshed of two European civil wars and the years of rubble and want that followed them. But some people e.g. the French, have a vision of Europe as a tight rich mans club with an exclusive membership. I have always prefered a broader, looser more flexible alliance of strong but peaceful nation states that was more global in its orientation. I think the accession of a nationalistic and patriotic Turkey to the EU would help to frustrate attempts to form that tighter union, would turn Europe outwards in its orientation and open up new young and vigourous markets. My worry is that because the Turks are in practice quite far behind us it might drag standards down. But I think the Turks I have met in Turkey have a passion to grow which will translate into quality soon enough and may invigorate more developed economies.. Also with Turkey in, the walls can also come down in Cyprus.
2) Christianity in Europe is to be honest way too comfortable and has grown unreal because of that. It is also incredibly secularised in the way it talks and relates to people. Muslims find it easier to talk about God and are interested in discussing him. Having 70 million Muslims come to Europe suddenly would definitely put God back into the conversation and Turksih Muslims are more moderate than most. My hope is that the church would benefit from this as people were pushed out of unreal secularised bubbles into real conversations about God. Also Turks in Turkey are potential missionaries to much of the Middle eastern world. More Turks and people of other nations in the region are likely to become Christians if Turkey comes into the EU than if they are denied access in my view. Turkey is a necessary kick on the backside for European Christianity.
3) I think Turkey could be Europes bridge into Asia and to fast growing markets but Europe is also a better vision for Turkey than a merely Asian one. Europe can bring the best out of Turkey and even solve its long term demographic issues by utilising a growing Turkish workforce, providing Christian influences, more freedoms for Turks and higher standards also.
