Comments on: The Coming Clash in Turkey

By: Coming Anarchy: The coming clash in Turkey « Identity Unknown

Coming Anarchy: The coming clash in Turkey « Identity Unknown — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:15:40 +0000

[...] Jun 20th, 2007 by Ryan Lanham The Coming Clash inÃ�Â Turkey [...]

By: Jimm

Jimm — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:02:41 +0000

Hmm. So, The US turns against Turkey because it has (yet another) coup and so Turkey chums up with Russia and Iran to take control of the Middle East, imprison Europe (his words), dominate the sources of oil and form some kind of suspicious partnership with China. And then WW3!

Alarmist, hyperbolic nonsense. An alien invasion is more likely.

I find it interesting how western commentators have turned on the (rabid, extremist, ugly) secularists lately. I think they’re frustrated with the success of the AKP, and they’re making it public. I also think AK should just back down from the presidential competition, and find a safe pair of hands who will uphold the constitution and calm the situation. Why are they so determined to hold the presidency? They need to recognize the role of the president as a constitutional balance to a majority government.

It’s unlikely that AK has any extremist agenda, though they DO have a history – a very recent one, trying to criminalize adultery. But they need to recognize that they are the government of the whole country, and that they are answerable to each and every citizen. Is it really in AKP supporters’ interest to have a party loyalist as president?

By: Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:03:35 +0000

Once again we see how lucky ‘we’ are that the founding fathers saw a real difference between democracy and a democratic republic…. Frankly I think Turkey provides an interesting example of the problems of democracy where the masses may institute a popular government that will be disastrous… but of course that may be seen as the arrogance of an outsider. We live in interesting times…

By: a517dogg

a517dogg — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:20:16 +0000

A cause elicits more loyalty than the blood ties that Ataturk recognizes never existed to unite Turks. Ataturk knew that he was attempting to create a nation largely out of whole cloth – that its identity must incorporate Islam or it wouldn’t be accepted, but that the state had to be secular in order to modernize. The Turkish identity has always been elusive. I don’t know why this point in time is any more dangerous than in 1960, when they executed their Prime Minister, or when the military took over again in 1970, or 1980, or the 1990s…. Perhaps its just that the consequences of Turkish instability would be much greater now that it is the only quasi-stable regional power in the Middle East.

By: The Next World War Originating In.... Turkey? | Prose Before Hos

The Next World War Originating In.... Turkey? | Prose Before Hos — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:51:45 +0000

[...] Analysis: I discovered this article this morning doing my daily CAing. While I liked the article, I hardly think the next world war will originate from something that [...]

By: Curzon

Curzon — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:15:29 +0000

Great post.

Grendel, that list is good for laughs, but not as a serious reference.

By: Grendel

Grendel — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:01:00 +0000

Coincidentally, I read about weapons purchases in the US this year - their biggest customer is... Turkey (with $3.4 billion). Weapons influx into a volatile region is not a good thing. p.s.: About Turkey being the only Muslim democracy exit here.

By: alec

alec — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:47:06 +0000

In Europe and the United States, most seek to limit religious influence and promote tolerance.

LOL??