Madam, - The current impasse in Turkey between the secular religious divide once again underlines the extreme danger of promoting Turkey's admission to full EU membership. The fact that the dominant party in Turkey is actively promoting Turkey's membership gives further cause for concern. The AK party is a barely unreconstructed Islamic party of whose long-term political agenda the Secular constituency in that country is quite rightly suspicious.
The secular forces in Turkey are left with a "Hobson's Choice" of either supporting the undemocratic military in checking the advance of political Islam or accepting the will of the Turkish people, a majority of whom probably support the AK.
From our perspective in the EU, extreme caution should be our watchword. We must also accept the democratic will of the Turkish people, as unpalatable as that may be. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that much of Turkish society still views itself as an integral part of the Islamic world. Therefore, EU membership for that country would not only be dangerous but seriously misplaced. - Yours, etc,
SEÁN WHELAN, RÓISÍN WHELAN, Nenagh.