The road to Shanghai? How democratic are we?

Turkey has a long and compelling history of Westernization, with its ups and downs. That's why I prefer to believe that Erdoğan wasn't serious when he asked Putin to accept Turkey into the SCO. It was a way for Erdoğan to show his disappointment with the negotiation process, which is hardly in full swing.

An alliance is a pact, a coalition or friendship between two or more parties, made in order to advance common goals and secure common interests. Therefore the SCO should have something that Turkey lacks if Erdoğan wants to be a member. Nobody can deny that even trying to be a member of the EU has brought many advantages and convinced politicians to make democratic reforms and expand human rights. Is it the same for the SCO? Is there a win-win situation? Let me make a comparison between the EU and the SCO:

DEMOCRACY: According to the Polity IV Project's democracy index, Britain, Norway and France are full democracies. Turkey is a democracy. However, China (autocracy), Russia (closed anocracy) and Kazakhstan (autocracy) are not democracies.

FREEDOM: According Freedom House's freedom index, Britain, Norway and France are free countries. Turkey is partly free. China, Russia and Kazakhstan, however, are counted as not free.

FREEDOM OF PRESS: Another Freedom House report shows that the media in Britain, Norway and France are free. Turkish media are partly free. But, unsurprisingly, the media in China, Russia and Kazakhstan are not free.

WEALTH: According to the World Bank, the GDP per capita of Britain is $36,900. Norway's GDP per capita is $65,640 and France's is $36,100. Turkey's GDP per capita is $18,300. However, China's is $9,000, Russia's is $17,500 and Kazakhstan's is $13,500.

Thank God, Putin took this offer as a joke.