[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

They only want Turkey because Turkey wants them so badly and Turkey is the one majority Muslim country that purports to aspire to Westernization including granting full civil liberties, has a respectable GNP, education level, etc. Some of this is hyperbole. Turkey didn't kill this journalist; some Islamic nut did. But note that it hasn't been easy for Turkey to get into the EU.

Your comment that Europe doesn't believe in freedom doesn't deserve a reply. I'll tell you this, Europe by and large has a low regard for religion, and this illustrates why. Take religion away from liberal democratic society that is essentially a 230 year old phenomenon and this is what religion becomes--a killer of dissidents. Do you know of any exceptions in history?

I get the impression that the Europeans (outside of the UK) don't want Turkey to join the EU at all. They continue to make Turkey jump through all kinds of hoops before even considering the question. Fear of Turkish ascension was one of the main drivers behind the rejection of the EU constitution by France and The Netherlands. France and Germany, currently Europe's two most populace countries, fear losing that clout to 70 million Turks. Western Europe also doesn't want to be overrun by cheap Turkish labor (they already complain about "Polish plumbers"). There is also an element of religious bigotry and racism involved.

IMO, bringing Turkey into the EU would be a major step toward bridging the gap between the Western and Islamic worlds. Sadly, I expect the Europeans to miss the opportunity. They like to talk a big game, as long as someone else is playing.