Europe, Turkey and the Debate on Values - OhmyNews International

Europe, Turkey and the Debate on Values - OhmyNews International:

"Europe, Turkey and the Debate on Values
[Analysis] Overcoming the difference by dialogue

Published 2008-11-23 11:11 (KST)

In terms of football, Turkey is already a European country. Turkey participated in the UEFA European Championship in June, although Turkey's participation in Europe's political and economical body, the European Union, is controversially being discussed both within the EU-member states and in Turkey. To understand this debate, it seems important to reconsider the cultural gap between Europe and Turkey, that rises from divergences in religion and tradition. I want to address this topic, focusing on the important question of human rights, emanating from a certain concept of human dignity, that can be called 'European' due to its roots in Christian religion and in enlightened philosophy."