Hungary for Turkey??

[Salvo]

Since we began talking about Turkey’s bid for EU membership, I thought the subject merited some attention, so I decided to start my own breakaway schismatic splinter threat from the “Orthodox Heirarchy” thread from whence it began.

This is an odd subject, because on the onset, it seems like a purely political question since nations like Hungary support Turkey’s bid for EU membership. But given the fact that all the current EU nations are at least nominally Chrisitan and Turkey is Muslim, there is a much deeper issue at hand.

As I mentioned before, even Greece, Turkey’s former arch-enemy supports Turkey’s entry into the EU. And I have already stated my particular supposition as to why; being the fact that they could then pour into Constantinople LEGALLY, en masse, to reclaim lands there and the EU would have to defend them against any dangers. It would actually be a very interesting idea to see Constantinople repopulated by Christians. But at what price?

Your thoughts?

 

[HagiaSophia]

Salvo:

Since we began talking about Turkey’s bid for EU membership, I thought the subject merited some attention,
Your thoughts?

I am not that familiar with all of the religious problems there but I thought Turkey’s position towards the the EU was based on trade and business; but I can’t imagine that the Muslim population would simply sit back and let Greeks pour in and claim their lands. I also don’t think the EU would countenance it either but as I say I really don’t know that much anymore about the area and current political feelings. There are times when things run pretty “hot” over there and then there are times where it’s not so “hot”.

 

[Salvo]

HS,

Well, here are a couple of things to consider:
First, migration wise, the Turks have been moving West since the 60’s. Germany is of course their biggest destination and if they were to join the EU it is not unreasonable to assume hundreds of thousands more would not jump at the opportunity the day after they are allowed to do so. Now, on the other side, when the “poorer entries” into the EU sign up, they usually have a stipulation in the charter wherein they have the power to restrict the purchase of land by anyone other than their own nationals for up to 15 years (Poland and Hungary have invoked this agreement). So, given that Turkey already has an ethnic Greek population in Istanbul, it is not unreasonable to assume that they could curtail this stipulation by getting local Greeks (possibly even distant relatives) to be the “front-men” for such purchases. So, to summarise, there is very little desire on the part of the Turks to move to Greece. Yet there is a great desire on the part of many Greeks to move to Turkey, for various cultural, religious and historical reasons.

Now, if they were to do this today, there would undoubtedly be a pogrom and violence of massive proportions. Not necessarily even government sponsored (although with the current Islamic party in power, you can’t rule anything out). Yet if it were to happen (or even lead up to a boiling point) while part of the EU, the other member states would very quickly be obliged to send in forces and arbitrate. And as long as the Greeks were merely practicing their freedom of movement, the case would be clearly in their favour.