Istanbul

Turkey and the EU

Once you move further east than the Aegean Sea it becomes difficult to determine where Europe stops and Asia starts. Cultures, civilizations, religions, and styles of government undergo a transformation until you reach a definitive example of a European or Asian or Middle Eastern state. I won't say nation since the word and even the idea of a 'nation' is artificial to some degree. Turkey does stand at odds with the rest of Europe mainly in its history but in part in its religion. The question of whether to grant Turkey entrance into the EU opens a Pandora's box of other questions: what constitutes Europe; whether former Soviet republics east of the Black Sea warrant entrance. Moreover, when do geographic concerns become moot in the face of cultural and governmental differences?