I do recall the quakes you mention, and I think they helped build bridges
Greeks were first on the spot and they saved lives, working day and night. If you recall, there were many people trapped live under the collapsed buildings and there was a race against time to save them before they died of thirst in the summer heat.
Greeks' efforts were widely publicized in the press and won a lot of Turks' hearts. Same happened in Greece when the earthquake struck them shortly afterwards.
I don't see 1999 as that ancient
Ancient, as in enmity between Greece & Turkey is no longer an issue with the latter's candidacy to EU. As I said, Greece previously had a veto on this candidacy, which they removed in 1999.
but I think it's not that Turkey is significantly worse than (say) Romania
Romania does not have chronic inflation. Turkey had 35% inflation last year and that was one of the lowest rates of the last two decades. (I have high real-interest Turkish t-bills, so follow the economy pretty closely)
Turkey's insufficiency re Copenhagen Criteria is not only economic but also political:
Political criteria: Stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.
eu2003.gr
A Google search of (Turkey "human rights") should give ample insight as to the inherent problems for the above.
we could start with the Trojan war, and then wonder if the Turks still held a grudge over Alexander <g>
With all due respect, I am laughing as well, but for a different reason:
I believe the Trojan war was between Greeks and Trojans. Turks conquered that land about 2000 years later.
Helen of Troy was a Greek lady (I have a Greek friend named "Helen". Their name for Greece is "Hellas"), and Homeros, on whose writings we read of Troy was a Greek storyteller. I cannot see why you think Turks would hold a grudge to Greeks over a war they fought between themselves, that took place more than two thousand years before they came to Anatolia :-) |
