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Turkey and EU

13 October 2004, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Alfa Ahmad Dhaka
13 October 2004, 18:00 PM
Why Turkey is so keen to join the EU, when the latter is facing sunset years, and there are no signs of recovery in this century? In fact, the decline of Western civilisation is by now an open secret. Except for Uncle Sam far away across the Atlantic and Pacific (what an isolation), which western nation is able to take the initiative in providing leadership in international affairs? The industrialised members have maimed even the UN system, making the mighty Secretary General a sort of non-entity. The veto system in the UNSC is an old joke.

Perhaps a powerful minority in Turkey is trying to escape into the European fold. What EU has to offer, when the empathy is not there from the fossilised European citizens, now a curious mixture of sociological hotch-potch? As the forefathers of secularism in a post-Ottoman Muslim-majority under-developed country under Kemal Ataturk, the rapid progress of the new Turkish nation drew admirable attention from other countries. It is time for a review. What has been the role of the OIC? The latter has to come up with some definite definitions of the existence of OIC, otherwise it is facing the same fate as the current UN.

The context is changed today. Any experienced tourist can get the feeling that modern Turkey reminds one more of Asia and me than the white civilisation further West.

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There are two tug-of-wars going on at present: one inside Turkey, and the other inside EU. The choice is not difficult, once the cultural base is chosen for good.