TURKEY and the EU

Veysi Ozcan from Turkey writes: "It is a bit fishy to choose physical geography as a means of saying "no". Consider Cyprus from instance, one of the candidates expecting a date for accession talks from the EU in less than a week. Geographically Cyprus is farther from continental Europe than Turkey is. It is "officially" part of the continent Asia, 100%". RH: Veysi should be encouraged by The Economist, which carries enormous weight. The front cover (12/7-14/02) proclaims TURKEY BELONGS IN EUROPE". It shows a mosque with four shining white minarets, as though to say that Islam is not as benighted as some people think. The division of the the Eurasian landmass into Europe and Asia makes little sense. Originally "Asia" was the strip of land across theBosphorus from Constantinople. Now it means the territory extending as far as the Urals and the Caucasus. The Russians say their country is both European and Asian. It would be simpler to say Eurasian. Perhaps Paul Simon and Cameron Sawyer can tell us if the "Asians" accept this division into Europe and Asia. What does Veysi mean by "officially"? Who decided that?

Ronald Hilton - 12/11/02