Why
Turkey is different from other Muslim countries:
It is not only the five strong centuries of
the empire before that, which provides a unique military and administrative
experience in being able to hold one of the most strategic geographic positions
on earth for so long. It is not only the parliamentary tradition going back 136
years, yes, before the republic. It is not only the multi-party democracy,
belated, interrupted but able to survive.
Turkey is in a very stra tegic location and wants to be part of the EU: Turkey will strengthen the EU and garner badly needed points from the Muslim world but there would be great negatives too for both the EU and Turkey. Turkey must join EU, says UK PM
Turkey in the Crossroads or cross hairs: A model for the middle east to follow or a set-up for additional future middle east crisis? In the 1920s, with the Ottoman Empire in ruins, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk imposed Western laws, replaced Arabic script with the Latin alphabet, banned Islamic dress and granted women the right to vote.
The ruling party, however, has supported religious schools and tried to lift the ban on Islamic head scarves in public offices and schools. Secularists are also uncomfortable with the idea of Gul's wife, Hayrunisa, being in the presidential palace because she wears the traditional Muslim head scarf.''We don't want a covered woman in Ataturk's presidential palace,'' said Ayse Bari, a 67-year-old housewife. ''We want civilized, modern people there.''
With the Religious fervor having been awoken in my mind largely by Bush's attack on Iraq and our intrusion into middle east politics wherever we can and the ever growing call for a return to Islamic values in the middle east and in the entire Islamic world I find it spectacular that Turkey believes it can go its own way and be allowed to be secular and hopefully become a member of the EU. Turkey wikepedia
We have discussed Turkey and its efforts to join the EU often as well as its importance to Europe, the US, Russia, Iran, the middle east and the world many times over the years. We just discussed this! We need Turkey, the EU needs Turkey, the world needs Turkey. However the US and the EU as you know has long frustrated Turkey. Supposedly she is turning towards Iran but while we tighten sanctions and money Iran is using Turkey to fill the void but in the end Iran as you know will go her own way and Turkey will stay with us. Earlier this year Turkey getting increasingly frustrated in her efforts to join the EU had lobbied Germany for their help in gaining membership.
The US needs Turkey for its Middle East policy but it is obvious the rest of the world does too. Turkey and the world are at a crossroads which way will we go!? Let Turkey join the European Union! There are drawbacks as membership would give them freedom in the rest of the member countries but it can be managed and I think there are more positives than negatives.
* Turkey is different from most Muslim countries, Turkey very much wants to be a part of us!
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
1 comment:
I think you've put your finger on the problem here Jim. Bush and the conservatives failed to understand the culture and customs in the middle east. There is a battle going on internally there among society. They are stuck between moving to a modern position or clinging to ancient customs. I see this much like we did in the 60s with youth questioning traditions. Eventually things will move forward but far slower than what was accomplished in the 60s over here.
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