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The answer is simple and is definitely NOReader comment on item: Is Turkey in Europe? Submitted by Alexandros (United Kingdom), Jul 12, 2013 at 05:10 Georgia and Russia are far more European than Turkey. In any case this is a long discussion and the main reason is not geography! First of all, if the European leaders want EU to evolve at some point and this does not mean political unification, but acquiring a kind of flexibility and creation of institutes that will give EU decision making quickness and strength, then EU must stop expanding at some point! Second, Turkey has a huge cultural and political difference than Europe. Turkey is unable to transform into a democratic and European country, because it denies it, instead Turkey wants to change Europe by making it more authoritarian! Yes Europe has a Christian cultural background, but it is the most free place on the planet, everyone is able to practise his religion for example and discriminations are not accepted at all and also freedom of speech and gender equality is more than fullfilled. In Turkey instead none of the above exist and not only that, but Turkey demands the other countries to respect the rights of the Muslims or the Turkish citizens while they do not! These things are unacceptable and belong to the dark ages not in the 21st century! Third and in addition to the above, Europeans should even deny any kind of talks with Turkey since the latter does not recognise one of the European states, occupies illegally European soil and threats another European state with war officially an with a parliamentary vote! I understand that Turkey is considered as a geostrategic partner of the West, but this doesn't mean that Turkey should change the West, it should mean that Turkey would become Western, something that is not possible to happen in the next 20 years if not ever! Fourth, the vast Turkish population will mean that Turkey will be a very significant player in the decision making, but how can Turkey be trusted when it's politicians are clearly fascists? All this would mean that EU would do some serious steps backwards and probably towards it's distraction! Fifth and from a clearly realistic point of view, Turkey is the biggest trouble maker in the World, why would Europe should support a trouble maker? Sixth, if Turkey became a European member, how on earth could EU deny the same to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Morocco, Egypt or Israel in the future! Especially the first four have a deeply European culture and for sure Israel has more than Turkey. There could be only a special kind of relation with Turkey because of it's geographical proximity and because it is a member of NATO as a lot of European States, but even for this, Turkey should decide to become democratic and abandon it's expansionist and imperial policy. Of course such things are not to be considered since there is no liberal party in Turkey, not even a leader as Baradei in fact. In my opinion the political issue in Turkey is worse than is in Egypt, because at least in Egypt there is a liberal party! These things are insane and the only reason that i am deeply worried is because the European leaders are not doing a good job in general! Submitting....
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