Turkey says french vote is 'heavy blow' to ties, threatens measures

AFP via The Tocqueville Connection ^ | 10/12/2006

[Atlantic Bridge]

Forget Europe--the US is the one who is going to have its head spinning if the Kurdish thing blows up.

Yep! That is indeed true. If this "Kurdish thing" blows up and Turkey invades north Iraq possibly together with the Iranians the US troops there have for sure their heads spinning while Europe will keep itself out of this new conflict. The fall of Saddam Hussein who kept the "Kurdish thing" under control with mustard gas and Tabun was not nessecarily in the interest of the powerful Turkish millitary. If they come to the conclusion that "new" Iraq is a problem for them because of the "Kurdish thing" they have the means to smash this country into pieces. Since the "Kurdish thing" is a question of survival to them and their millitary is a real monster (can not be compared to Iraq or Iran - 400.000 motivated men with western equipment) I would be very very careful.

[Atlantic Bridge]

The question of religion is secondary.

That is the thing and it is quite difficult to understand to Americans. :-)

In political Europe religion does not play a big role anymore since a long time. The Turks can pray to Elvis Presley, the Pointer sisters, Allah, the Pope, Jupiter, Bacchus or Neptun - we just do not care.

Religion is something private in Europe.

There are many good reasons (underdevelopment, autocratic gouvernment, the "Kurdish thing", human rights, Cyprus etc. etc. etc) why we do not want to have the Turks in the EU, but religion does not play a big role.