As I want Britain to leave the EU, I have some diffidence about commenting on whether other countries should be allowed in.
However, for what it's worth: Turkey is a lovely country, full of really nice people, fascinating cities, wonderful classical ruins and great food. Its economy is way behind ours, but is well up the the standard of those ex-Communist countries that joined the EU recently. One bar to membership is, as you indicated, its human rights record - but I don't find that argument convincing for the following reasons.
Turkey used to be a very ropey military dictatorship. Now it is trying its darndest to be democratic, and is beginning to build a much better track record. It has been a convincing multi-party democracy for quite a few years now. Its (moderate Islamicist) government has even been making a few concessions to the Kurds. Yes, there are still some serious local abuses, but maybe that is a good reason for Turkey to be brought INTO phpbb_the EU. The interferring busibodies of Brussels could for once in their lives do some actual good, by insisting on strict, verifiable compliance with international human rights conventions. This could be a case where EU membership might actually be good for a country. Turkey's human rights problems wouldn't harm other EU countries, and membership of the EU might reduce those problems within Turkey, so why not? Therefore, given its demonstrated will to improve, its human rights record is no reason for other countries to keep Turkey out of the EU.
The immigration question is another matter altogether. As the main Turkish immigration in the past has been to Germany, I'm guessing that any further large scale migration would be to Germany as well, so maybe it should be up to the Germans.
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