It is a country as developed economically and more developed politically than were Spain and Portugal when they were given membership of Europe. On Sunday, Turkey goes to the polls and once again, by implication at least, it will assert its right to be considered a member of the western world. Yet the election will not solve Turkey's dilemmas. It will not produce a clear majority in favour of improving its human rights practices. All the indications are that, as before, no party leader will easily summon up an acceptable majority.
Turkey is stuck in a deep rut.
Neither American forbearance nor European antipathy is producing an answer. The means of influencing the polity of Turkey needs to be re-thought. On the domestic side there needs to be less of a blind eye. This is certainly true of its relationship with Cyprus and Greece and, until recently, with Russia. Turkey's long hostility towards Syria, given the refuge it extended to Ocalan, was understandable, but now there is no reason why it shouldn't be repaired.