In a commentary dated 9-8-04, I wrote the following, long before Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope:

Can the EU see itself marrying a Turkey?

Did you ever meet someone you felt kind of attracted to and thought there was potential for a relationship, but there was some nagging quality about them which led you to have second thoughts? That's the situation I believe the European Union is in where Turkey is concerned - and it may have prophetic implications.

The decision of whether to allow Turkey to begin accession talks to join the European Union, which is and has been under discussion for some time now, will soon be determined.

On one hand, Turkey, traditionally a good friend to Europe, having served alongside the free world as a member of NATO, seems a good match for the European Union's growing empire, allowing the EU to demonstrate its cultural open-mindedness while extending its borders closer to the oil wealth of the Middle East.

On the other hand, Turkey's population is mostly Muslim, creating concerns Turkish membership would give Al Qaeda and other Muslim terror groups an opportunity to infiltrate the EU, affording them the opportunity to organize and spread quickly from nation to nation in the region. Another fear is many of Turkey's poor people could immigrate into the wealthier nations of the EU, creating additional burdens on the EU as a whole.

Among the doubters Turkey will benefit the EU is Fritz Bolkenstein, Internal Market Commissioner of the EU, as shown in an EU Observer article. Bolkenstein says the European Union will "implode" if farm and regional aid policies remain unchanged by the time Turkey joins the EU. Bolkenstein also says, "Whoever accepts Turkey must also accept Ukraine and Belarus. These countries are more European than Turkey."

Husnu Ondul, chairman of the Turkish Human Rights Association, thinks Turkey has some problems to address before the EU should allow the Muslim nation in - problems like widespread torture being practiced in its criminal justice system.

An EUBusiness.com article quotes Ondul as saying on the topic, "In 2003, 1,391 people from 29 provinces applied to us with complaints of being tortured in more or less the same manner. The fact that so many people unaware of each other were tortured in similar ways only shows how widespread the practice is."

As shown in an EU Observer article, high-ranking Cardinal at the Vatican, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, has said Turkey is "in permanent contrast to Europe" and that linking it to Europe would be a mistake. Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said Turkey, which is a predominantly Muslim secular republic, should seek political union with Arab states and not with European countries.

What do I think? As I've stated on any number of occasions, I don't foresee Turkey making its way into the European Union - a goal the Turks have worked very hard to achieve. In fact, I think there's an excellent chance Turkey is going to take Cardinal Ratzinger's advice and seek political (as well as military) unions with the Arab states in the near future! Why?

Bible prophecy seems to tell us modern day Turkey (biblical Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Togarmah), is going to join Russia and an Arab/Islamic alliance in attempting an invasion of Israel in the prophetic future, according to the 38th chapter of Ezekiel.

How will the love story of the EU and Turkey end?

At some point, the European Union looked at Turkey and thought Turkey looked like a nation it could have a relationship with. As the two began making small talk, the EU started taking a closer look at the nation it was flirting with and decided their little fling wasn't going to result in a fairy tale relationship after all and, in my opinion, decided to break the relationship off - gently.

As anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows, rejection can hurt and hurt badly, especially if the one rejected had truly hoped for a meaningful and lasting relationship. It can even lead to anger and jealousy.

We should have an answer as to whether the EU is going to embrace Turkey by October 6th when the EU Commission is to present a report detailing whether or not accession talks with Turkey will be recommended, allowing the EU's leaders to make a final decision.

As I stated earlier, Bible prophecy seems to tell us there's a good chance Turkey is about to take a fall - a rejection that's going to be very hard to accept.

Will the EU's rejection of Turkey, if it occurs at this point, create a bitter anger in the Turkish people which will cause them to look elsewhere for friends and unions - perhaps in the Arab world? Bible prophecy seems to tell us the answer is yes.

EU leaders are due to make a final decision in December concerning whether or not to begin accession negotiations with Turkey. I wonder how Turkey is going to feel if it finds out the EU's leaders can't see the EU marrying a Turkey?

My bet is Turkey will run right into the arms of its Gog-Magog allies. It's going to be interesting to see how this one plays out, huh?

Turkey - The red hot issue of Turkey trying to get into the European Union is a hugely significant piece of the prophetic jigsaw puzzle as Turkey, according to most biblical scholars, is one of the nations Ezekiel 38 & 39 sees coming against Israel during the Gog-Magog invasion attempt which I believe, for a number of reasons I won't go into right now, will take place in the first half of the Tribulation Period to come when a western leader of Roman descent - the Antichrist - will have a seven-year peace covenant in place in the Middle East. On October 6, a key report, recommending whether Turkey should or shouldn't be allowed to begin accession talks to get into the EU as a member, will be out. As this date nears, it seems more and more likely, as demonstrated by an EU Observer article, it will be recommended Turkey be allowed to begin accession talks with the understanding talks will be ended if Turkey doesn't keep close tabs on human rights, torture issues, equality between men and women and economic development. Again, I don't think there's a chance Turkey is going to make it into the EU! None whatsoever.

A new alliance

Those of you who have been following along here at RaptureAlert.com know I've been watching the courtship between the European Union and Turkey very closely lately, expecting a breakup of these lovebirds to occur. Why? Because Bible prophecy seems to point, according to the majority of biblical scholars, to Turkey being part of the Gog-Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38 & 39 which will see Russia join an alliance of Arab-Muslim nations in attacking the nation of Israel in the prophetic future.

If memory serves me correctly, the European Union is scheduled to decide this month, perhaps even within the next week, whether or not to allow Turkey to begin accession talks with the European Union in an attempt to gain EU membership.

Interestingly, as the EU's decision approaches, the EU is considering setting some very strong conditions for Turkey before allowing Turkey to begin accession talks, according to an EU Observer article. This is, understandably, creating some tensions.

How interesting it is to see that Russia's Vladimir Putin is in Turkey as I write this commentary at this unique moment in history, as documented in a Yahoo News story! According to the story, Putin will be seeking a number of agreements with Turkish leaders during the course of the next two days, one of which will be a defense agreement. Putin will additionally be seeking a friendship and partnership declaration during his visit.

A new alliance may well be forming between Russia and Turkey, indicating we are drawing closer and closer to the Gog-Magog invasion. I can't say I'm particularly surprised to see this happening as a friendship between these two nations is prophesied. Even so, I am awestruck concerning God's ability to make known to us the future before it has ever taken place, clearly demonstrating to us He is God and there is no one like Him!

Isaiah 46:9-10: Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

In previous commentaries, I've discussed the nation of Turkey's desire to get into the burgeoning European Union - the revived Roman empire of Bible prophecy. Recently, it was announced, as most of the regular readers of my website know, Turkey, barring any unforeseen developments, is going to begin accession talks with the European Union later this year.

For those unfamiliar with what I've said in the past, I don't believe Turkey is going to make it into the European Union. In the unlikely event it should, I'm as certain as I possibly can be Turkey would soon be coming right back out --- to join Russia and an alliance of Arab-Muslim nations in a future attack on the nation of Israel described in the 38th and 39th chapters of Ezekiel.

Why do I feel that way? A majority of biblical scholars identify the modern nation of Turkey as one (or several) of the following nations prophecy tells us will come against Israel in the aforementioned end times attack commonly referred to as the Gog-Magog invasion:

• Meshech
• Tubal
• Gomer
• Togarmah

Interestingly, in spite of Turkey and Israel having a relatively friendly relationship, primarily due to Turkey's tendency to align itself with the western world via its membership in NATO, it was recently revealed that sales of Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic book, 'Mein Kampf', are soaring in Turkey - to the point the Turkish government has gone so far as to suggest there is no racism in the large Muslim nation. None!

Turkish government spokesman Cemil Cicek said recently, "We cannot allow prejudice against people for belonging to a certain race. We have never had such an attitude in our culture, nor in our history, and we do not have it now ... It's not possible for people to choose their races ... Turkish society's idea about this issue is clear. There is no racism in this country."

A Yahoo News story indicates political analysts are saying soaring sales of 'Mein Kampf' are probably more demonstrative of anti-American sentiment "rather than anti-Semitism or specific support for Hitler and his ideas." They could be right.

The only book, according to the same story, selling more copies in Turkey than 'Mein Kampf' is a book entitled 'Metal Storm,' which depicts a U.S. invasion of Turkey, which doesn't surprise me in the least. In the Muslim world, it's common knowledge two nations are despised above all others - the United States, largely a Christian nation, as well as a longtime supporter and ally of Israel, and the Jewish nation of Israel itself.

Although it's difficult to envision precisely how Turkey is going to go from being a NATO member aligned with the western world to joining some of the western world's top military threats in a massive attack on the nation of Israel, Bible prophecy tells us that is precisely what's going to happen!

As unbelievable as it is for many to consider, the current success of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' in Turkey reveals the underlying hatred which will be required for Turkey to turn its back on NATO in the prophetic future and subsequently train its weapons sights on the nation of Israel is likely already in place, yet another sign that Bible prophecy is accurate and God is alive, on the throne, and in control!

Keep looking up!