Choice for Turkey or Europe?

Yerkir
17 Dec 04

Today Europe is making a crucial choice: it will vote to approve or
deny Turkey a membership in the European Union. Today’s decision,
indeed, is a critical one for the future of Turkey, its neighbors,
including Armenia, and the region.

But most of all the decision will influence Europe’s future. If Turkey
gets a green light, it would be hard to predict whether or not that
country — with its present standards, civilization approaches, the
burden of its internal problems and attitude toward its neighbors —
would become a nation of European values, but one thing is apparent:
the Europe we — and the Europeans — knew will never exist any more.

Because Europe is not just about geography, it is a first of all a
certain civilization. And Turkey does not belong in there especially
because it denies the measures and conditions on the road to Europe.

That makes us make certain conclusions, like urging those who give
us lessons and advice on European standards, to respect those values
themselves.