Monday, December 04, 2006

The Conjecturer » Racism in the EU

"Racism in the EU
Filed under: Middle East, Europe — Joshua Foust at 10:12 am on Monday, December 4, 2006

There are legitimate reasons for Europeans to question the ascension of Turkey: its borders, on Iran, Iraq, and Syria, would vastly complicate EU security. Its consistent use of torture in repressing its Kurdish minority, and its continued illegal occupation and blockade of EU-member Cyprus poses grave human rights questions. That its culture really is radically different than the rest of Europe would complicate the very nature of European identity: though it is unfair to call Europe “Christian,” it does have a deeply Christian heritage. Then again, so does Turkey. But what makes one “European?” That’s a question that must be resolved before Turkey has any real chance of ascension."

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