Ahead of the historical European Union accession talks with
Turkey next month, the human rights situation of the
predominantly Muslim nation has again been highlighted as a
major obstacle. Most recently, the President of Greece openly
urged Turkey to respect religious freedom. "If Turkey hopes to
sincerely and substantially enter into the EU on the basis of
its principles and values, it should adopt the fundamental
principles of democracy," the Greek President Carolos Papoulias
said as he greeted the visiting Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I
on Thursday, according to the Middle East Times. Turkeys
membership in EU has provoked a vigorous debate. In the midst of
many different opinions, the most fundamental and common concern
regarding its entry to EU is the countrys poor human rights
record. In a statement issued by the EU last December, the bloc
mentioned that in Turkey, "religious freedom is subject to
serious limitations as compared with European standards."
Religious freedom is often under threat in Turke