The bridge also has problems of its own. We have always been in Europe, under the Ottomans and today. But another Erzurum professor, Ibrahim Yerebakan, says the West still does not understand Turkey's position 75 years after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk declared Turkey a republic. Turkey is NOT a Middle Eastern country. Turkey is not a European country.
Turkey is Turkey.
What Ataturk did was to dis-establish religion. He secularized society. But he never closed down the mosques or theological schools. Moreover, Yerebakan suggests the European Union is right in not inviting Turkey to open membership talks since he believes Turkey is not yet ready to join Europe. We have democratically elected governments in Turkey, legitimately elected MPs.