"How Western is Turkey?
Analysis: Even as its effort to join the European Union faces growing obstacles, Turkey's economy is making it more European than ever
When Pope Benedict XVI travels to Turkey this week, most of the world's attention will be focused on the Christian-Muslim religious divide. But the pontiff is also crossing a political fault line: The gulf between Europe and the near East has been much in the news lately because of Turkey's troubled attempts to join the European Union. Ankara is keen to become a full member, but Europeans are having second thoughts. Skeptics, including the Pope himself, are openly questioning whether a mostly Muslim nation of 70 million can ever really be part of Europe."
More:TIME.com: How Western is Turkey? -- Page 1