ANKARA AND THE EU: TURKISH VOICES
by Helena Smith
The Guardian (London) – Final Edition
October 4, 2005
Ayhan Demetgul, 45. Tourism official, Istanbul “Europe is getting
older and Turkey can provide it with necessary manpower . . . Those
countries that oppose Turkey’s membership don’t have any vision”
Serap Yildirim, 20. Student, Istanbul “There does seem to be a
misunderstanding, it’s not us who will benefit as much from the
EU, as Europe will from Turkey. Our country is very big and will
automatically become a giant bazaar for European companies and exports”
Havva Can, 55. Housewife, Cerkezkoy, Thrace “I don’t follow politics
too closely but it will be much better for Turks if we don’t join . .
European culture is too open and not good for our society . . . I.
don’t want to remove my headscarf. If we join they’ll make me get
rid of it”
Huseyin Unlu, 55. Retired labourer, Izmir “If Europe lets us in as
we are now then I support joining it. Too many conditions have been
placed on us; next they’ll be demanding I shave my moustache”
Irfan Yavuz, 29. Railway worker, Istanbul “Europeans think we’re
barbaric and uncivilised, that we’re just like Iran and Iraq, because
they’ve watched Midnight Express . . . Europe has a hidden agenda . .
it supports Kurdish separatists and goes on about the so-called.
Armenian massacre”