Reflected said:And before you tell me that the situation in Turkey might as well change and approach the European norm, let me tell you that I speak of *now*. I stand by what I said elsewhere, i.e that Turkey has far more in common with Syria, Iraq and Iran than it has with South Europe.
I think you are looking at the superficial differences due to economical or political divergences. You are overlooking the deep culture that doesn't change in just a generation. I have never said that Syria or Iran didn't share similarities with Turkey (I don't know why you want me to say that), but from a global point of view, you can't deny that Greece and Turkey do have things in common, beyond religious differences. It is also my opinion that Greece and Turkey are more similar than Greece and any Northern European country.
I find it pointless to separate countries in exclusive group such as "European" or "Middle-Eastern". Most countries in the world share quite a lot with their neighbours (except results of mass colonialism across oceans like the case of the US and Mexico or Australia and Indonesia, of course).