ISTANBUL - The year is 2010 and the European Union has rejected Turkey. Fascist governments have come to power in Germany, Austria and France and are inciting violence against resident Turks and Muslims. A vengeful Turkey joins forces with Russia and declares war against the EU. Turkish commandos besiege Berlin, obliterate Europe and take control of the Continent.
Some critics will be quick to dismiss "The Third World War," a new futuristic novel by a 30-year-old Turkish writer, Burak Turna, as the wild imaginings of a conspiracy theorist and literary shock jock - and in many ways it is.
Let me be counted as one who says, I don't discount it. Let me also go on record as saying, allowing Turkey into the EU will be a major, major mistake.
Letting a predominantly Muslim country into the European community as an equal partner is one sure recipe for future disaster. Have Europeans forgotten the Ottoman Empire and the long history of Ottoman imperialism? What foolishness it is, to consider a country that has no ties to European culture, for a spot in the EU. How utterly ridiculous it is to even think that they can mesh with old Europe?
They are Muslim. The jihadists are Muslim. Who do you think the Turks will side with, if Europe ever decides to fight back against the forces that seek to destroy all western civilaization and bring it under, sharia law?
Think I am nuts? Then, why do you think that a 30-year old Turkish writer can dream up such a fictional scenario? And then ask yourself, why the Turks are embracing it? Can you honestly convince yourself that these people haven't already thought of taking over Europe? They tried it for years, by way of the sword. Now they are trying to do it, by way of inclusion to the EU. Slowly and subtlely, they sneak in.
Mark my words, if they allow the Turks in, there will come a time when Europe will be faced with taking very stern and decisive measures against radical Islamic terrorism (and the nations that support it); and when it comes up for a vote in the EU, the Turks will fight it, stall it, and veto it. Why? Because they are Muslims and when the chips are down, Muslims will not turn their backs on other Muslims.
Meanwhile the EU has the subtle threats of Turkey through a fiction writer, to mull over and consider. They have the opportunity to nip this in the bud, right now. They had better think long and hard.
9 comments:
I don't either. Especially with all that has transpired between Turkey and Europe, over the years, and the state of the world today.
when the chips are down, Muslims will not turn their backs on other Muslims
Such has usually been the case within Islam. Many Muslims believe that they are being kept down by the Jews and by the United States. Because of this belief, reform within their own nations has been slow, if not at a complete stop. As long as scapegoating is the dominant attitude, no progress will be made, and such scapegoating is prevalent within Islam. In fact, the lower position of Muslim nations is something OBL uses as a recruiting tool.
Also, Turkey's connections to the West have long been despised by many Muslims, who see Turkey's concessions as a betrayal of Islam.
Good post here!
I just read the entire article. Very disturbing! The undercurrent of hatred is palpable.
Lose/lose: Let Turkey in, and conflict will arise. Keep Turkey out, and conflict will arise.
What would an overt military Turkish invasion of the EU be fought with?
About ten years ago I read an article about a Turkish unit operating against Kurdish separatists. The unit was kitted out with G3 rifles (West Germany), M60 tanks and 75 mm pack howitzers (United States), and East German surplus helmets and APCs.
A mechanized unit may be hell on wheels, until the spare parts run out.
It seems to me that Leslie missed the point that LA made....
THey wont invade with military might, they will use political subterfuge, and slowly chip it away.
Great post LA. I think you've found a nice little cherry to look at for part of the geopolitical puzzle forming itself over there.
FYI: My personal opinion on the "WHY" Gindy is asking about is because of their desire to be enlightened, multicultural, and accepted.
If they allow in a Muslim state, maybe the muslims wont hate them... and, they add one more to the cabal that is trying to rival US super power.
I think there is a great deal of resentment among many Europeans for the Turkish invasion of their country (immigration). Greece does not want Turkey to be part of the EU, no more than Turkey wants to give its half of Crete back to Greece. The EU has consistently rejected Turkey's application for membership based soley on economic indicators, but I wonder if Turkey is sensing anti-Muslim biases.
We need to think long and hard about how we intend to treat "secular" Middle Eastern states because, as AOW points out, it would not take much for either Turkey or Iraq to go back toward the darkness.
Excellent post, LA.
As of this writing, all of that is fiction. But, who is to say that a scenario like that won't happen?
With Turkey in both Europe and Asia, their identity is somewhat confused. On one hand you have those (like this "novelist") that want to align with Asia; and then you have those that want to align with Europe.
It's been that way off and on for centuries.
The Byzantine Empire once sat where modern day Turkey sits today. One of the big reasons the Ottoman Turks sided with Austria-Hungary and Germany, was their desire (at least at that time) to mesh in with Europe and expand its own influence into the Balkans and other Slavic regions. Part of the reason nationalism came to the Ottomans so easily was, the spirit old Byzantine was in the land.
It is still there today. But like I said before, when forced to choose between Europe/western civilization and their Muslim brothers engaged in jihad, they will almost certainly choose the latter. When they come to that fork in the road, they will veer to the east. Europe cannot afford to take that risk. Not now, not ever. Europe as we have all known it, will then be done.
All of you have made some valid points, we will just have to wait and see what happens. Like AOW said, it is a lose/lose situation.
If Europe rejects their membership, there are a whole host of possible scenarios that can occur. But I bet none of them will be beneficial to the interests of the U.S. and its closest allies. And some could be outright disasterous.
I am a proponent of Turkish entry to the EU. There are good reasons. The Byzantine Empire sat there. Also, Turkey is a Kemalist nation, and has been pursuing secular Westernization. Among the Transatlantic alliance, the US and the UK are positive to Turkish membership to the EU. This will bolster the US and European influence in the Middle East and Central Asia.
If continually rejected, Turkish people would feel desperate to the EU, and turn to radical Islamism. Then, all efforts since Kemal Ataturk will become in vain. This is a real nightmare.
I believe in open and expanded Europe. Turkish membership to the EU is not enough for me. For further expansion of the Atlantic alliance, I even think that Japan and Australia join NATO. Japanese leaders may not be enthusiastic to this idea, but Australian rightists may agree with me. They feel some nostalgia to the British Empire.
Shah,
You and Mustang make good points. But as AOW said, it is a double-edged sword.
Post a Comment