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Bluntly put, you're a nut. The topic is whether Turkey's European or not. What's support for the invasion of iraq have to do with that? Because Germany and France didn't support the war, are they suddenly not European? Yes Muslims are a threat to the West, but Turks are more atheistic than Muslim. You seem to be arguing that Turkey shouldn't become part of the EU, not whether Turkey is European.

P.S. is being a jerk necessary. The poster of this article was more polite than either you or wtc911 (this was why you were pinged), and he's actually European. Why are you, who are probably American, getting so angry over Turkey's placement in the world when you aren't even European?

>>>You seem to be arguing that Turkey shouldn't become part of the EU, not whether Turkey is European.<<<

You've got it right on both counts. The EU, mega-pox that it is on it's people, don't need the likes of the Turks to help them race down to hell in a handbasket. As you can plainly see from your vantage point, they are doing quite well on their own. I don't know or care whether Turks are Europeans.
I do know that when American ground forces needed a hand, the Turks gave us the finger. Cowards and bullies, that's all they are to me now. Turkey didn't stand up when it was time and made things difficult for our soldiers, *so* now they can just go pound sand with the rest of the craven Muslims. Sand is the last damn thing that culture invented anyway.

*So*, you think I'm a nut? I'm just a Marine Mom who watches the backs of my son and his fellows, taking note of the enemies and the traitors as they reveal themselves. The Turks are high up on my personal **** List, and if you don't like that, that's just too bad. I am not afraid of a cartoon or a Muslim, how 'bout you?

Bluntly put, you're a nut. The topic is whether Turkey's European or not. What's support for the invasion of iraq have to do with that?

There's a kind of obsession about Irak here. It's seems that for a lot of Freepers the world is divided in two between the countries who supported the US invasion of Irak and the others... Without nuances. It's really a binary vision of the world. In short, if you're not a vassal of the USA, you're necessarily an ennemy. Ridiculous !

The only "Europeanness" of Turkey is the result of the fact that it was conquered later than most other Islamic countries. Prior to that, you could make a point that it shared much of European cultural assumptions.

However, it ceased to do that several hundred years ago and has been an adversary of the West ever since, except when its dysfunctional Islamic culture makes it too weak even to be an enemy. And as usual, every time some attempts are made to modernize the country, at least structurally, the orthodox Islamics rise up and try to drag it right back to the 7th century.

Actually, the rhythms of Turkey are entirely Islamic. There are many non-religious Turks, but there are probably many more who are very observant.
Kamel Ataturk tried to turn the country into a modern, Westernized, secular state. However, the religious parties have been gaining in Turkish elections. One day we might see a majority of them in the Turkish Parliment. That will mean more sharia will be incorporated into that country's legal framework. Whether it will become like another Iran is doubtful, but you never know.