The European Union has agreed to begin discussions to admit Turkey into its club if Turkey agrees to a number of conditions. The number one roadblock is Europe’s demand to finally end the armed stand-off over the future of Cyprus. So now Turks must decide if aligning their future with Europe, outweighs the political price of bowing to these conditions.
At the same time, polls in Europe show that a majority in France and Germany still oppose Turkey’s integration, and they’re outspoken in expressing their fears about admitting such a predominately Muslim country.
Guests:
Yigal Schleifer, reporter for The Christian Science Monitor and the Jerusalem Report in Istanbul.
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, German Member of Parliament for the Christian Democratc Union/Christian Social Union Parties.
Bulent Aliriza, Director of the Turkey Project for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Michael Thumann, foreign editor of the German magazine De Zeit.