Turkey against the West?

Question

I was watching the news today and what struck me was the attitude Turkey has towards the Pope's visit. What is their problem and how are they even considering entering the European Union with this type of attitude (lets not even stress the Cyprus issue). What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

The question is, why does the West want them so much? Turkey has already shown that she will not comply to EU standards. Turkish culture is so much different than European culture (uneducated and oppressed women, a military-run state, human rights violations, like freedom of speech etc). So why do you people want to add another - huge - poor country to try to develop it? For us Greeks, in fact, it could be useful, because some problems might be solved through EU intervention. But you see, even now that they want to get in, they don't comply with EU laws about Cyprus for example. What makes you think they will later?

Don't get me wrong, I like Turkey, I've been there, and i have friends from Turkey. But Turkish policies have always been anti-European, especially since Kemal Ataturk, who is indeed still a totalitarian nationalist figure running the country, even after his death!

Oh, and Amaaan, in Greece we have come to terms and appreciate our ottoman heritage, like buildings and food - although aour culture is not Turkish, because 2500 years of it happened before the Turks emerged in this region. The problem is with Turkey appreciating its Greek heritage. I have been to Turkey, and there seems to be a clear reluctance to say the word greek -you hear ionic, classical, etc instead. Not to mention the poor state of preservation of byzantine monuments of paramount importance, which are now yours, but they collapse. Either education and economy are low, or it is a deliberate choice. I know some Turks, including yourself perhaps, are well educated and modern people, but don't judge from the minority. I would like to work to make Turkey the great European country it can be, because the heritage it contains is unimaginable, but forces within Turkey seem not to want that, and it is a pity.

Answer 2

i think u saw the meeting against the pope there were 20.000 people in that meeting , istanbul is 14 millions turkey is 70 millions, this is ur answer.

p.s Turkey is 13th biggest economy very modern ,mostly educated %70 of people dont care EU Turkey ll be 3th biggest economy 20 years later. all greeks know bulls_hit about Turkey because they trying to hide their culture is Turkish. why greeks think that "they know everything about Turkey"?
90 university, 8 million university student, 2 millions new graduated people every year. all greece is 10 millions this is enough.

have good days

to cpinatsi u r talking about %5 of Turkey and i have seen selânik for couple days. im thinking if E.U standarts seems like in this city and ur country sorry but this is fact, my city and my country is better than we dont need E.U really but if u see %5 instead of %95 ok then u r right. but if u use ur mental and see %95 of Turkey. u ll understand why we dont need E.U. i understand that % 5 of Turkey is almost 4 millions this is very big for u. we need money about %50 of all money in greece for solve their problems.

Answer 3

approximately 2,5 months ago, pope benedict made a quotation from a 16th century byzantine commander, degrading islam and prophet muhammed. all around the world, muslim communities protested his quotation. his defense was that those were not his own words (i.e. just quoting) but muslims were not convinced, they wanted a formal apology. you may google "pope+quotation+islam" for more details.
turkey has a muslim population of more than 96 percent. their attitude can be described as the discomfort of hosting a man who insulted their religion.
my personal thought? well, if anyone insulted my religion and my prophet, then he gets VIP treatment by my state officials, i would surely have an attitude. how is this related to EU? anyone has a right to protest anything , as long as its not illegal.

Answer 4

I have no problem with the Pope, as a Turk..

Turkish people who protest him think that he will make pressure to us for Kurds, Armenians, EU and North Cypus I think..I don't think that he will do a wrong thing like this.

Answer 5

and than they want to join the european union, whats next, have all european women wear the veil in 10 years time.?

Answer 6

My thoughts are muslims prove time and time again their intolerance to other people and religions, that is why we must kill them all. Just kidding, sort of.