"Turkey eagerly awaits EU invitation
It has welcomed Western ideals. Will the West embrace it back?
By Ken Dilanian
Inquirer Staff Writer
First of three parts.
ISTANBUL, Turkey - To understand how much this strategically important country has changed in a single generation, look no further than the Melek family.
Yusuf Melek, 57, grew up in a tiny eastern Anatolian village with no electricity or running water. Though he never attended a day of school, he toiled his way into the merchant class, eventually moving west to Istanbul to set up a now-thriving carpet dealership. A devout Muslim, he prays five times a day. His wife doesn't leave the house without a head scarf.
Among his eight children is daughter Ozlem, 20, who is about to enter law school. She wears jeans and retro Puma sneakers, surfs the Web, reads Dostoyevsky in English, and wouldn't dream of covering her head. Like many Westerners, she observes some customs of her religion and discards others."
More:Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/03/2004 | Turkey eagerly awaits EU invitation