Turkey should have joined EU in 2000. Before 2000, Turks were eager to follow the European understanding and to continue to modernize the country as the founder of secular Ataturk. However, shutting the door arrogantly to Turks in late 90's damaged the honour and belonging feelings of the society to Europe. EU politicians of late 90's thought their decision was genius in terms of protecting the Europe from Islamisation. However, this action created the versa effect among the Turks. Everybody in the country started to agree on how much Turks belong to the Eastern World, Islam and the neighbour countries of the Middle East. This opportunity was very smartly used by Erdogan and he started to control the flow under his autonomy towards Neo-Ottoman ideology which was not aimed by the masses.
If Turkey was given a more recognized position in EU, there would be no Erdogan hegemony today, no deep Syrian war, nor the refugee crisis at peak. The history repeats itself. If EU did not learn from its mistake and continues to act arrogantly (as Cameron's reference to 3rd Millennium), Turks will connect to East and Erdogan more. We will eventually find a more radicalised Europe in next 15 years.
Turkey should have joined EU in 2000. Before 2000, Turks were eager to follow the European understanding and to continue to modernize the country as the founder of secular Ataturk. However, shutting the door arrogantly to Turks in late 90's damaged the honour and belonging feelings of the society to Europe. EU politicians of late 90's thought their decision was genius in terms of protecting the Europe from Islamisation. However, this action created the versa effect among the Turks. Everybody in the country started to agree on how much Turks belong to the Eastern World, Islam and the neighbour countries of the Middle East. This opportunity was very smartly used by Erdogan and he started to control the flow under his autonomy towards Neo-Ottoman ideology which was not aimed by the masses.
If Turkey was given a more recognized position in EU, there would be no Erdogan hegemony today, no deep Syrian war, nor the refugee crisis at peak. The history repeats itself. If EU did not learn from its mistake and continues to act arrogantly (as Cameron's reference to 3rd Millennium), Turks will connect to East and Erdogan more. We will eventually find a more radicalised Europe in next 15 years.