Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

Culture influences EU perceptions toward Turks

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
ISTANBUL - H�rriyet Daily News



AP photo

Cultural factors are among the main elements influencing European perceptions of Turks, according a recent study conducted by a prominent Turkish university.

The research, made public Monday night by the European Studies Center of Bosphorus University, also showed that younger generations in Europe are more supportive of Turkey�s entry to the European Union than are older generations.

The study was based on a poll conducted among 5,000 people in Germany, France, Britain, Spain and Poland between August and September 2009.

www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=culture-influence-eu-perceptions-toward-turks-2009-11-17

[youtuber]

Apparently France and Germany are the biggest nay-sayers to Turkey's admission.

For economic reasons, I think that Turkey's admission would be good. Turkey is a bridge between Asia and Europe, something which no other EU country can offer.

And the muslims in Turkey seem to be more moderate and not as hardcore as other Islamic countries. So that needs to be considered.

I think that the primary reason that France and Germany are worried is that their borders would be open to a flood of Turkish muslims that may be seen as a threat to the French and German culture and way of life; and I think this is a valid reason for concern.

As we know, the French and Germans are extremely proud of their cultures, so perhaps they want to avoid future civil conflicts by preventing Turkey's admission.

[mises]

Turkey will not join the EU because it is muslim with a large population. Final answer.

[mithridates]

My advice to Turkey (well, a single piece of advice among many other things) is to change the English name of Istanbul back to Constantinople. The Turkish name would still be İstanbul. Lots of places are called by different names in different languages (Aachen - Aix-la-Chapelle, Helsinki - Helsingfors, K�ln - Cologne).

Iran needs to change its name back to Persia too.

Oh, and Kitchener should change its name back to Berlin.

[bigverne]

[ytuque]

[mithridates]

[ytuque]

[mithridates]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

Mith,

Not all of us are as enamored of your linguistics hobby as you are. So that's totally WTF-ville. And the other stuff you're plugging by way of "advantage" amounts to nothing more than a signing bonus on an otherwise totally sh*tty deal.

Sincerely

[mithridates]

[bigverne]

[mithridates]

[Adventurer]

Personally, I think Turkey needs to progress when it comes to democracy and human rights, and that's what many of the youth of Europe think. Turkey has made a lot of progress, but it still has a long way to go. It doesn't mean Europe cannot open some more chapters paving the way for Turkey to get closer to membership. Turkey has to make good on opening up culturally to the Kurds. The secular Turks have to abandon the old European style of suppressing minorities and imposing a national identity. Ataturk wanted to impose Turkish nationalism and secularism.

He helped modernize Turkey, but the Kurdish problem eventually blew up, and a country that suppresses minorities on that scale can't be admitted. Of course, others suppress minorities like gypsies in the EU.
Turkey has made many reforms. I think people know that, but it has a long way to go. I wouldn't be in a hurry to admit them, but I think they should be told they will get there the more they progress. The somewhat religious government has been more democratic than the secularists. You would think those pro-European types would be more modern and democratic. Yet, they are stuck in the Europe that Ataturk conceived, it appears.

[youtuber]

If Turkey were to really become a successful economic power with a good social system (though I don't know how), then perhaps Turkey, as an EU state, would be a draw for some of the disenfranchised Muslims in the Western EU states.

Just a theory.