The Evil European

To say that Turkeys membership aspirations for the European Union has been rather thwart is a bit of an understatement. French, German and Austrian political and popular opinion has been rather against it, and there has been a general anti-Muslim sentiment across much of western Europe.

However....

"Put crudely, Turkish membership will signify a choice for Europe between becoming an outward-looking union at peace with its internal diversity that prioritises the economic and security needs of its members, or an insular, almost parochial grouping, searching for an imagined cultural homogeneity."
Turkey is central to the EU, The Guardian 10th November 2008

There are sentiments that I strongly agree with. The EU itself is the product of an outwardness and creating an environment in which inherent diversity could be accommodated without conflict. Turkey is just another step, and as long as she signs up to the a common set of rules, there is no problem.

The cultural bigitory of current members is against the European ideal