Turkey following Pamuk's departure

Following the murder of journalist Hrant Dink and the death threats he has himself received, the Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk has fled to the US. This should be a source of great concern, the newspaper writes: "When someone who has killed a journalist is regarded as a hero in Turkish security circles; when a man like Pamuk - who is as closely associated with Istanbul as Alfred Döblin with Berlin, James Joyce with Dublin or Woody Allen with New York - no longer dares to remain in his city of birth, this should be a cause of concern for more people than just his compatriots. Can a country in which 'dark powers' openly defy the government really be considered for EU membership? An unsympathetic tone has crept into the discussion in many countries. They say that a country with a predominantly Muslim population can't be European. Such prejudices must be put to one side. However, gaps in the democratic and judicial system cannot be ignored. The EU is not a Christian association, but it is very much a democratic one. For this reason Turkey should not become an EU member for now."

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