Santa Theory

[Meh]

Acutally, David, I believe there are just as many Christians in Turkey as Muslims

Nope.

and plus Turkey is both considered geographically and culturally part of Europe instead of the Middle East.

that would be like saying Italy is both considered geographically and culturally part of africa.

[Báng]

As I have a very very limited knowledge on the issue I won't say too much. Just that they will both be playing at the Euro2004 Football Championships!

[rklenseth]

Acutally, David, I believe there are just as many Christians in Turkey as Muslims

Nope.

and plus Turkey is both considered geographically and culturally part of Europe instead of the Middle East.

that would be like saying Italy is both considered geographically and culturally part of africa.

Sorry, David, but if you look at a geographical map, Turkey is part of Europe due to the fault line it is on. The Middle East is part of the Asian Continent. Though both the Asian and European Continent are considered one big continent at times called Eurasia. They divide them into two Continents due to the massive mountain range that runs through Russia (forgot the name at this time; but I'll look it up). They also divide the two up because Western Culture is far different from Oriental and that is why a lot of times people refer to Middle Eastern as such instead of Asians because they are not have a very different Culture then Oriental Cultures. One could argue that Western, Middle Eastern, and Northern African Cultures are all the same because they come from the original Phonecian Culture that originated in the Middle East and spread throughout the world except for the Oriental World that originated from some other place most likely the fertile river valleys in China. But anyways, Turkey is definitely part of Europe. Just because they Muslim doesn't mean they are Middle Eastern. That is like saying Albanians, Kosovars, Bosians, and any other Muslim culture in the Balkans is part of the Middle East, which originated in Turkey and came to that area when the Ottomans took it over in the Middle Ages.

Plus, according to a statistic from my European History last year, Turkey has about 53% Muslim, 41% Christian or Catholic, and 6% Jewish. I'm sure it is pretty accurate because my teacher was pretty picky over those kinds of things. Plus, he lived in the Middle East for awhile while getting in doctorate.

[Meh]

So I guess Iceland and Japan are part of North America. They will be thrilled to hear that. I guess that means that they would be included in NAFTA.

Oh wait.. Even better Iran and Iraq are not part of the middle east either.

http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eastern/plates.html

41%? Hmmm. Tell your teacher to call the CIA because the CIA as usual has no clue.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fac ... tml#People

Also locally, they belive that only that small part of Instanbul is Europe. Guess they and me did not get the memo when Europe changed.

I never said that muslims are limited to the middle east.

Back to my point.
Great place. Great people.

[kroner]

I have to agree with rklenseth. Turkey is partially in Europe. There is an actual geographic line that seperates the "continents" of Europe and Asia. Turkey is partially in each. Look at a map. The country is clearly divided by the Black Sea, the Mediteranean and the Sea of Marmara. As for culture, I would like to point out that the capitol of the Byzantine Empire (the eastern, longer-lived half of the Roman Empire after the split) was in modern day Istanbul. Although later taken over by the Ottomans, Turkey has retained many of its Western influences. Turkey is being considered for the EU! What does that say?

[Meh]

It says to me that the USA is not in North America because of Hawaii.

[Meh]

I have to agree with rklenseth. Turkey is partially in Europe. There is an actual geographic line that seperates the "continents" of Europe and Asia. Turkey is partially in each. Look at a map. The country is clearly divided by the Black Sea, the Mediteranean and the Sea of Marmara.

By the way. He said the whole thing was in Europe and none of it was in Asia nor the middle east. By agreeing with him your actaully agreeing with me.

I said it is a middle eastern democracy. Is that wrong.

[rklenseth]

The Middle East is part of Asia. We only term it the Middle East because it has vast cultural differences than the Oriental Cultures of Asia. If you want to be exact Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are all one continent. Asia and the Middle East are divided from Europe because the massive mountain range in Russia and the seas east and south of Europe dividing it from the Middle East and Asia.

Culturally, you can't consider Iran or Iraq part of the Middle East either even though geographically they are. Anyways, according to maps that I see, a majority of Turkey is considered part of Europe. Probably it is somewhat seperated from most of the Middle East as well as culturally different due its history of being more involved with the Western World than the Middle Eastern World.

You actually trust the CIA website? Anyways, where do you think the CIA got the information from. Probably got it from the information ministry in Turkey. Most of the government in Turkey is run my Muslims who probably want to keep it that way so they probably don't report everyone else. The paper I got from my teacher is from some periodical that has a really long title. The one the history teachers in college are always telling you to use for research. Usually those periodicals are trustworthy or at least are suppose to be. Though the information could be outdated or reporting on remote areas of Turkey that usually don't report in their numbers and such.

[Meh]

As for culture, I would like to point out that the capitol of the Byzantine Empire (the eastern, longer-lived half of the Roman Empire after the split) was in modern day Istanbul. Although later taken over by the Ottomans, Turkey has retained many of its Western influences.

Did I say they were not Western. I said that they were Muslim and in the middle east.

[rklenseth]

http://www.datenbank-europa.de/indexe.html

Here is a site that has Turkey as a European country and not a Middle Eastern or Asian country.

[Meh]

The Middle East is part of Asia. We only term it the Middle East because it has vast cultural differences than the Oriental Cultures of Asia. If you want to be exact Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are all one continent. Asia and the Middle East are divided from Europe because the massive mountain range in Russia and the seas east and south of Europe dividing it from the Middle East and Asia.

Culturally, you can't consider Iran or Iraq part of the Middle East either even though geographically they are. Anyways, according to maps that I see, a majority of Turkey is considered part of Europe. Probably it is somewhat seperated from most of the Middle East as well as culturally different due its history of being more involved with the Western World than the Middle Eastern World.

You actually trust the CIA website? Anyways, where do you think the CIA got the information from. Probably got it from the information ministry in Turkey. Most of the government in Turkey is run my Muslims who probably want to keep it that way so they probably don't report everyone else. The paper I got from my teacher is from some periodical that has a really long title. The one the history teachers in college are always telling you to use for research. Usually those periodicals are trustworthy or at least are suppose to be. Though the information could be outdated or reporting on remote areas of Turkey that usually don't report in their numbers and such.

They are a well hidden 41%. Did not see a chruch in the whole contry other tahn histroical sites.

[Meh]

http://www.datenbank-europa.de/indexe.html

Here is a site that has Turkey as a European country and not a Middle Eastern or Asian country.

The site lists not other contients.

[rklenseth]

To tell you the truth I think they use both geographically boundries as well as political and cultueral boundries to determine what country is in what continent.

[Meh]

Though the information could be outdated or reporting on remote areas of Turkey that usually don't report in their numbers and such.

I belive the information was accurate in 600 AD possibly as late as 1400 AD.

[rklenseth]

http://www.datenbank-europa.de/indexe.html

Here is a site that has Turkey as a European country and not a Middle Eastern or Asian country.

The site lists not other contients.

Why must it list other continents? It's suppose to be a map of Europe.