Hopes and fears drive Turkish curiosity about EU

Will there be a limit on how many children we can have? Will we still have to do military service? Will smoking in cafes be banned?

Turks have bombarded the European Union with inquiries ranging from the naive to the highly informed in the run-up to this week's decision by EU leaders on whether to start membership talks with Ankara.

From students to doctors, civil servants to the unemployed, thousands have phoned or beat a path to the EU Information Centre in Istanbul over the last year in search of enlightenment on the ways of the bloc, or just in search of a job.

The centre, resembling a plush internet cafe, has also been a target for protesters who have gathered in front of the building near the city's bustling Taksim Square to demonstrate on issues that seem to have little direct link to the EU.

Some people, it seems, hope the EU will be the answer to many of their problems, be they personal, professional or financial. Others worry it will meddle too much.

"People think that the EU will change everything in their lives... They think that in every area of life the EU has a rule or a procedure," centre director Seda Domanic told Reuters.

Questions have come from heavily-burdened porters asking if there are limits on how much they will have to carry in the EU, and from drivers fearing the bloc will bring an end to Turkey's traditional 'dolmus' minibus services.

The centre, opened in January, also organises school trips and seminars while dealing with inquiries from professionals such as lawyers, engineers and academics on issues ranging from consumer protection to environmental policy.

One of a series of children's brightly-coloured drawings in the centre shows a Turkish man knocking on a door leading to Europe. Beyond the doorway, skyscrapers soar into the sky and people travel around in spaceships.

As the December 17 decision on EU entry talks looms, the number of inquiries has increased and Turks are generally becoming more clued up about the issues involved.

"I think we are now getting more informed questions, most probably because the EU is being discussed so widely, on every television programme and in every newspaper," Ms Domanic said.