Vehemently opposed by French and the Germans while wholeheartedly supported by most other Europen nations, the accession of Turkey to EU is highly controversial. A membership of EU has some pretty obvious advantages: being a european, having access to all european markets without barriers, having common trading policies, having simplified financial procedures and what not, and to get it the Turks have left no stone upturned: whether it be promoting secularism by not allowing scarfs by legislation and wholeheartedly supporting homosexuals or reducing the trade barriers it has opposed, but these acts of passion have done little to warm the hearts of the European powers, some of whom remain adamant about not allowing Turkey to join.
The argument about trade is valid but what about an important benefit to be gained from the accession i-e Turkey serving as a gateway to Islamic world. While Turkey may not fit the stereotype most westerners have of a muslim coubtry, only a few have realized the role of Turkey as a mediator in dialogues with the muslim world. Afterall, Turkey is 99% muslim and one only has to go to the arteries of Istanbul (the supposedly most westernised city of Turkey) to note the Islamic and mid-eastern influences.Therefore, I believe Turkey's accession will strengthen the bond between the West and the Muslim world. Perhaps Mr. Obama should consider this point while he embarks his
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