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LETTER TO THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
Rick Jones, Prague
The International Herald Tribune, France
September 10, 2005 Saturday
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR;
Europe in Turkey
Foreign Minister Jack Straw of Britain laid out a very compelling
case for Turkey's admission to the European Union ("Shift Europe's
boundary," Views, Sept. 8).
Not only was Turkey's long membership in NATO cited, but Turkey's
recent efforts at making massive internal reform were noted as a
further reason to endorse the country's bid for EU membership. What
Straw did not address was how EU membership would change Turkey.
In the near past, Turkey's major cities, like other cities in
the Middle East, were multilingual, multicultural, with competing
religions. Major cities in Turkey were enclaves where foreign culture
ruled the day.
This did not come to pass by accident. It was the result of hundreds
of years of economic development and each non-Turkish group filled
in a gap in the marketplace.
Today, ethnic Turks or integrated minorities who have adopted the
culture dominate all spheres of life. Do Turks realize that one of
the major results of EU membership would be an opening up of Turkey
to foreign influences? Does the average Turkish citizen know that
alternative cultures, religions and languages will set up shop
in Turkey?
A European Turkey will not look like the Turkey we all know today. It
will be less Turkish, more Greek, more Armenian, more French,
more Italian.
On the road to prosperity many Turks will not only be exposed to
strange and foreign cultures but they will be required to accept
them. Are the people of Turkey up for that ?
Istanbul will once again become the cosmopolitan center for Eurasia.
The conservative and family oriented values that are prevalent in
Turkey are likely to come into conflict with modern European culture
in which almost anything goes. This may be a shock.
I fear that the Turkish government has painted a very rosy picture
and left out how Turkey will be transformed into a country that many
citizens would not recognize.
Rick Jones, Prague
The International Herald Tribune, France
September 10, 2005 Saturday
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR;
Europe in Turkey
Foreign Minister Jack Straw of Britain laid out a very compelling
case for Turkey's admission to the European Union ("Shift Europe's
boundary," Views, Sept. 8).
Not only was Turkey's long membership in NATO cited, but Turkey's
recent efforts at making massive internal reform were noted as a
further reason to endorse the country's bid for EU membership. What
Straw did not address was how EU membership would change Turkey.
In the near past, Turkey's major cities, like other cities in
the Middle East, were multilingual, multicultural, with competing
religions. Major cities in Turkey were enclaves where foreign culture
ruled the day.
This did not come to pass by accident. It was the result of hundreds
of years of economic development and each non-Turkish group filled
in a gap in the marketplace.
Today, ethnic Turks or integrated minorities who have adopted the
culture dominate all spheres of life. Do Turks realize that one of
the major results of EU membership would be an opening up of Turkey
to foreign influences? Does the average Turkish citizen know that
alternative cultures, religions and languages will set up shop
in Turkey?
A European Turkey will not look like the Turkey we all know today. It
will be less Turkish, more Greek, more Armenian, more French,
more Italian.
On the road to prosperity many Turks will not only be exposed to
strange and foreign cultures but they will be required to accept
them. Are the people of Turkey up for that ?
Istanbul will once again become the cosmopolitan center for Eurasia.
The conservative and family oriented values that are prevalent in
Turkey are likely to come into conflict with modern European culture
in which almost anything goes. This may be a shock.
I fear that the Turkish government has painted a very rosy picture
and left out how Turkey will be transformed into a country that many
citizens would not recognize.