Posted on 10/03/2005 9:38:38 AM PDT by knighthawk
You mean their European colors? Explain to me how Turkey's position on the Iraq War is any worse than that of most of Europe's.
I would consider 10% of the population, plus a large percentage of the economic base, to be rather considerable. Moreover, Anatolian Turkey is hardly the dark side of the moon. Culturally, it is quite modern and Westernized and European. Have you been to Anatolia?
Europe is already europe. Turkey is NOT. This is about TURKEY being admitted. Jeez, if you want to be an appeaser to islam...say so. Stop beating around the bush about.
Josef Haider nearly got elected purely on his promise to stop the unfettered immigration. Since then, we have had Madrid and London bombings. Austrians feel that allowing Turkey into the EU would take the decisions away from them as relates to immigration policy.
I cannot speak for Austrians in general, but I can tell you that the Viennese are not a multi-cultural lot, they dislike all Middle-Easterners, muslim or not. Italians, Americans, and others, including Germans, are treated cordially, but kept at a distance.
Austrians are not bad people at all, quite the contrary (my friends there are both pro-Iraq war, and pro-Bush), but they feel they have a distinct culture worth protecting; Shussel is doing what he has to in order to retain the vote of the people, IMHO.
Screw Turkey and Straw!
Well, it depends on how far you go back. Was Ionia part of Asia? I think Herodotus considered himself to be European. And Constantinople?
They should. The euro-racists have had them jumping through hoops with the promise of EU membership for decades now, and the Turks have done nothing but ask "how high?".
The Turks should tell the Euroweenies to take thier EU membership and shove it were the sun don't shine. They'll be better off in the long run. 'Course the Turks have plenty of issues they need to deal with, such as their dour, destructive anti-growth policies.
Yes, I've been to Anatolia, and it is not European. Modern ad Westernized does not equal European. If it did, then maybe Japan and New Zealand should begin accession talks??
The Greeks are Europeans. That is especially true since they coined the word.... When the Greeks coined the word, the Turks were living somewhere in Turkmenistan or thereabouts..
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"Predominantly muslim"? CIA Fact Book says 99.8% muslim. And with a birth rate that is triple the mortality rate. Give these decidedly non-european muslims citizenship in the EU (no passports - no borders mobility) and every islamist with a death wish will route through the most recent caliphate to the streets of the west.
Actually, come to think of it, New Zealand might have a better claim to 'Europeaness' than does Turkey..
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PB, your "us" is America while I do believe that the "us" for you, alterkaker is not. And, AK, in an earlier post you called Turkey a pluralistic society....99.8% muslim and laws against even giving away bibles is pluralistic? Your Israeli slip is showing.
Cheers, Austria.
Hopefully, this is the first stand to turn the tide of Islamic immigration into Europe. It must be stopped and deportations begun if Europe is to survive. (I hope it's not too late already.)
Yeah, but Austria also gave us Hitler.
I'm not so sure. Much of Greece isn't anywhere near as developed: culturally, economically, politically as Turkey.
Tell me about it landsman.
99.8% Muslim...fine what's the percentage of Christians in Italy? You can be nominally Muslim or nominally Catholic or nominally Jewish, but most Turks are essentially non-religious. Turkey's closest regional ally (aside from Azerbaijan, which is little more than a client state) is Israel, something you'd hardly expect from a bunch of drooling Islamist fanatics.
Well, that didn't last long!
Good news bump.
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