ozsubasi

Well it does depend on where you went. Yes Turkey does have a different feel but isn't that the whole point? That it is the meeting point between Asia and Europe, and that it overlaps? Some areas are more western orientated than others. My own experience (which is limited to where I live) is that religion does not play a major part in society and is not growing in influence. The local people I know are more nationalistic than religious.
But yes it is a very masculine society, even in a tourist area such as this.

Domino

it is my belief the EU is one giant Ponzi scheme
they have to keep bringing in more countries to keep on distributing funds to those already members.

not bad scheme as they havent been able to pass an audit for about 16 years, and sacked the auditor who had the nerve to tell them they had failed.
but its alright cos they will just print some more "Bin Laden" €500 notes.

another comparison is a company that grows by acquisition, usually there is little or no organic growth, every year or so they buy a new company with borrowed money to increase the turnover, whilst the profits fall as they have to service the debts.

hth

ozsubasi

Ah well, I think that is a whole different topic You could ask whether it is to Turkey's benefit to join the EU now, because it is a very different proposition today to what is was when they applied.
Where I am it is not really a topic of conversation (amongst Turkish people that I know), largely I believe because membership is so far off that it doesn't really come into everyday thinking.

arkturkey

it is the subject like chicken and egg

scot47

In Beyoglu, or Pera as it used to be, I could fool myself that I was in Europe. Elsewhere ? Well, maybe in the tourist enclaves.

But in the East ? Anatolia ? Kayseri ? Trabzond ?

scot47

Go and look at Diyarbakir or Trebizond and then tell me that they are in Europe. We will have you certified.

Gordon Barlow

Well, you pays your money and you takes your choice. It's up to the Administrators where they place nations. I belong to an expat forum that has Turkey, Israel and Armenia in the Middle East section, yet Afghanistan in "Asia" and Russia in "Europe". I don't think one should go on how places "feel" to visitors.

Kunefe75

It is somewhere in between. That's why it remains so fascinating but also difficult to understand.

Gordon Barlow

My memories of the eastern part of Europe date from the 1960s when a girlfriend and I drove (on a shoestring budget) from Turkey up through every Communist country except Albania. Turkey did not seem at all European in culture - BUT nor did most of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria or indeed all the countryside (outside the cities) of Romania, Hungary and the Soviet Union that we visited. I realise that was a long time ago and much has changed since then. But I would be very surprised if the country folk have changed so radically that they are somehow like the country folk of Germany and France.

In '76 we visited enough of Spain and Italy to conclude that parts of those nations weren't very "European" either.

Also... The movie "Borat" was made in Romania, I think, and I'll bet the horse-drawn carts were authentic!