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Crossing the Straits of Bosphorus in
1970, after hitching through Europe, was an extraordinary
experience for me. Istanbul itself though very exotic with the
Blue Mosque and the city's Muslim culture still had a European
feel. But once across the waters that separated Istanbul from
the rest, and far larger part, of Turkey, I knew I was
definitely in unknown territory. Dry, poor, undeveloped,
primitive, this was Asia, not Europe. At no point in the vast
territory of Asian Turkey did I have to wait for more than 2
minutes for a lift the people were friendly and hospitable
beyond measure. They were definitely not European! 32 years
later the European Union at the Copenhagen summit has given
Turkey a date for full membership negotiations and thereby given
the message that Turkey's membership will contribute
significantly to EU's becoming a global power.
A Touch of the Exotic
Yet instinctively the power brokers in Europe like
ex-President of France Giscard d'Estaing have resisted holding
out hope for Turkey's membership. As d'Estaing said to French
newspaper Le Monde: "Turkey's capital is not in Europe, 95
percent of its population lives outside Europe, it is not a
European country." Underlining his opposition to Turkish
membership of the EU, Giscard d'Estaing said that letting
non-European countries join the 15-member club would be "the
end of the European Union."
Perhaps this is why it is such a good idea. With the recent
polarization of the world into camps of good and evil
reflecting it would seem the cataclysmic Saturn/Pluto opposition
on the Moon's nodes the idea of integrating Christian and
Muslim cultures into an economic union brings hope for the
future. As it is, Europe has imported millions of cheap workers
from Muslim cultures over the last 40 years, and has been
transformed culturally as a result. The chasm of understanding
between the West and the Middle East played out at its most
tragic by the Israel/Palestine conflict can be bridged by this
expansion of the EU. Perhaps in the not too distant future
Lebanon, Israel and Palestine could also join?
The Birth of Modern Turkey
The Turkish Ottoman Empire at one time stretched from the
Persian Gulf in the East to Algeria in the West, and from
Central Europe to Yemen. After categorical defeat in the First
World War, and a revolutionary upheaval against the Sultan, the
Republic of Turkey was formed on October 29th, 1923 in Ankara.
With an accurately timed national
chart such as this, it is possible to plot political
developments in Turkey up to the present day and beyond. With
the establishment of the Republic, under the guidance of
Atatόrk, Islam was removed as the state religion, women were
enfranchised and democracy embraced. Atatόrk remains a true hero
in Turkey much like Gandhi is in India: his statue is everywhere
and there are laws against defaming or insulting him.
Militant Democracy
Religious fundamentalism has always been very dominating, and
throughout the 20th century in 1960, 1970 and 1980, the
military had to intervene to re-establish the democratic
principles of the constitution. This was never a military
government as for example in Pakistan, but rather an emergency
balance, possible indicated by the presence of Mars in Libra in
Turkey's 4th house. The square from Mars to Pluto could easily
indicate the raw power of the military and perhaps the mutual
reception between Mars and Venus shows how Mars, the army, can
change role when justice and democracy needs to be
re-established. Venus configuring strongly with a rather extreme
Jupiter in Scorpio square Neptune shows the fundamentalist
principles, particularly amongst women and in schools. Indeed
2002 has been marked by demonstrations amongst female students
who - in the traditional Imam Hatip schools insist on wearing
headscarves, which are banned.
On the Fault Line
Turkey's Ascendant and MC angles configure exactly with the
Uranus/Pluto trine, marking this country as quite unique, and
encapsulating a spirit of revolutionary upheaval and pioneering
transformation which marked its birth as a republic. No surprise
here that Turkey sits on the fault line between transcontinental
plates, and is regularly ravaged by huge earthquakes, the most
recent marking the infamous August 1999 eclipse. (In Izmit on
August 17th at 00:01:39 GMT. Location: 40.74N/29.86E. ) With
Uranus itself astride the nodal axis, constant upheaval and
change will affect the country. Perhaps the South Node in Pisces
in the 9th shows it's imperialistic and religious roots, whilst
the North Node in Virgo in the 3rd shows its need to integrate
with its neighbors in working partnerships.
European Union Enlargement
The December 2002 EU summit in Copenhagen was arguably the most
significant event since the beginning of the Union in the
fifties. The EU enlarged to include countries which little more
than a decade earlier were completely subsumed by the Soviet
Union and the Iron Curtain. Who could ever have imagined that?
Looking at the solar chart for
that event, several factors are worth noting. The Uranus/Saturn
trine is exact a classic bridge-building aspect between the
established and the new. The Mars/Venus conjunction in Scorpio
indicates the strong (Mars) aligning with the weak and
impoverished Venus in Scorpio square Neptune. Mars can handle
it, but there will be chaotic results. As Mars never reaches the
exact conjunction with Venus, and Venus, gathering speed after
retrograde motion, draws away from Mars, there seems to be an
indication that the union is not consummated. A clear prediction
here is that the actual approval by referendum in countries like
Poland and the Czech Republic is not going to be as
straightforward as some might imagine.
Perfect Timing
The Pluto/Jupiter trine shows a tour de force of the powers that
be, and the magnificent trine between Jupiter and the Sun, which
are in mutual reception, indicates some brilliant leadership by
the current Danish leadership of the EU. It is indeed a great
moment, capturing the beneficial effect of two major outer
planet cycles: Saturn & Uranus, and Pluto & Jupiter. As the
Saturn falls on Turkey's chart ruler, the Moon, this was
obviously a major moment for Turkey, who have been seeking
consideration for 40 years. If Turkey fully meets the Copenhagen
political criteria as the end of 2004, it will be permitted to
start the accession negotiations with EU without any delay. The
question then remains: Will Turkey join the EU, and when?
The Future Revolutionary
Change
Obviously Turkey will work hard to fulfil the EU criteria of in
areas such as human rights, so negotiations are likely to start
immediately as 2005 begins. During 2003 Turkey will experience a
Saturn transit over its Ascendant, with Uranus trining from
Pisces. In recent elections a moderate islamist party came to
power, and it is quite likely that Saturn over Turkey's Cancer
Ascendant will bring strong traditionalist tendencies. However,
as Saturn is exalted in Libra and rules Turkey's Descendant, it
is also quite likely that strong efforts will be made to align
the country with the democratic principles of its opposite
number, Europe. The really significant time will come when
transit Uranus conjoins Turkey's MC in 2007 and this will of
course also be the period of the first Uranus return for the
republic. This is an indication of a revolutionary change in
government, which could accord with its internationalization
into a transcontinental club. As if to confirm this
Uranus-effect, Turkey's progressed Descendant (using Naibod in
RA) will conjoin Uranus simultaneously, with the progressed MC
squaring Uranus a little later in 2010. This indicates
revolutionary change for Turkey between 2007 and 2010.
The Coming Transformation
Looking more closely at transits for the period, it can be seen
that transiting Pluto opposes Turkey's ruling planet, the Moon,
between January 2008 (first hit) and November 2008 (last hit).
It's an extraordinary Moon placement in the last 5 minutes of
arc of Gemini virtually on the power point of 0 degrees
Cancer. This in itself shows a country astride two cultures,
playing a pivotal role in the world. There will obviously be
upheaval with this Pluto transit, with the likelihood of an
extreme polarization of the population. This combination of
Pluto and Uranus influences resonates with Turkey's prominent
Uranus/Pluto trine, so some kind of transformation is on the
agenda. It is incidentally very likely that significant
earthquakes will take place at this time, and if EU accession
is not on the agenda then some kind of other political
upheaval will take place.
Polarized People
The key period is early 2008. Progressed Mars and progressed
Venus have recently changed signs into Sagittarius and Pisces
respectively and in mid-2007 Turkey's progressed Sun moves
into Aquarius... the fellowship of nations. By February 2002
there is a progressed Full Moon from 0 Leo to 0 Aquarius, and
both are sesqui- and semisquare Uranus. As this coincides with
the first Pluto transit opposing Turkey's Moon, there is a
picture of a dynamically transformed country, in which barriers
are suddenly removed, and the shift of populations (Pluto/Moon)
can take place. Interestingly, at exactly the same time transit
Neptune opposes itself from the 9th house cusp, squaring Venus
and Jupiter. For the Turks, the intimate contact with Europe
will provoke its own religious traumas and unrest.
Traumatized Europe
Naturally, the addition of a predominantly Muslim country with
86 million people will have a profound effect on Europe. The
foundation of the EEC on at midnight on 31st December 1957 shows
the MC at 29.29 Gemini right on Turkey's Moon. For the EU and
all its Christian and lapsed Christian inhabitants, the
arrival of Turkey will have an earth-shaking effect. My favorite
chart for the EU was when it changed its name to the European
Union at 0.00 hrs on November 1st 1993 as a consequence of the
Single European Act.
The extraordinary synastry
between this chart and Turkey's shows a Mars/Pluto conjunction
on exactly the same degree as Turkey's Jupiter, obviously
showing paranoia and fascination with the religious
fundamentalism of Turkey, as well as the urge to control it.
With the EU's Mars in Scorpio and Venus in Libra and Turkeys
Mars in Libra and Venus in Scorpio, this is going to be a
marriage made in heaven. Europe is about to discover passion.
Adrian 30th December 2002
BY ADRIAN ROSS DUNCAN
http://www.world-of-wisdom.com/
January 26th 2002
http://sufizmveinsan.com
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