BERLIN — Can a Turk be a European?
Europe will ask that centuries-old riddle again today, when Turkey is expected to take a big step in its troubled quest to join the European Union. If all goes according to plan, EU leaders will set a date for Turkey to begin membership talks, a prospect certain to intensify doubts that a Muslim nation can be embraced by a Europe anxious about the rise of Islam across the continent.
The historic negotiations could last 15 years. There is no guarantee of membership. A din of caveats and protests has already erupted over economic and human rights concerns. But, in the end, the question is identity: Are Turkey's history, religion and borders compatible with the geographic and cultural landscape of Europe? And, perhaps more important, does a predominantly Christian Europe want them to be?
"No, it's not a natural fit," said Hans-Ulrich Klose, a Social Democrat and deputy chairman of the German Parliament's foreign affairs committee. "It's going to be very difficult. But we should give it a good, fair try. If it's a success and Turkey turns European, it could be good for security regarding all our concerns from the Middle East."
Big-shouldered and chaotic Turkey wants to nudge itself into a continent that is perplexed about its own identity and future. The EU admitted 10 new, mostly East European members in May and is still awaiting approval of a contentious constitution. Economic problems and high unemployment across much of the continent are hurting the middle class and eroding the welfare state.
Some leading European officials contend that admitting a moderate Muslim democracy to the EU would calm the tremendous strain between East and West over terrorism and the war in Iraq. The belief is that Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, could help stifle Islamic fanaticism around the world and enhance Europe's diplomatic leverage in Central Asia and the Middle East.
The clamor against Turkey, whose per capita gross domestic product is only 28% of the EU average, has energized right-wing political parties and much of the continent's population. Turkey's entry would mean the EU's Muslim population would soar from 12 million to 81 million. Skeptics envision Europe opening itself to a flood of religious extremists and migrant workers, with minarets cluttering skylines from Madrid to Krakow.
