Turkey's democracy

I am a muslim and I pray that God protects Turkey from having religous zealots turn the country into Iran. I think a military coup will come soon

Sam @ 1:00 AM PDT, Apr 6, 2008

This article is right on. The U.S. government needs to get serious about the rapidly changing sociopolitical climate in Turkey. I wrote about it myself one year ago, and since then, social conditions have become even more controlled by Islamic fundamentalists. http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/index.php?id=952466 Like so many other quiet little hotbeds in the Middle East, Turkey - if we don't take the subtle but continual changes seriously - could rise up and bite us one day.

Mac @ 8:22 AM PDT, Apr 5, 2008

You should walk or at least try to in those people's shoes before making comments about issues such as freedom and what we 'should' do or not. Religion is a scary thing for us women here. Not that people do not believe or not, but its power over our lives. I am afraid for my daughter. And what exactly is 'democracy' when people are afraid about their jobs and livelihoods. This not about believing, this is about power games played over my life. What's worse is that it is about my daughter's life.

Pınar K @ 3:28 PM PDT, Apr 4, 2008

Here's an example of AKP's Turkey from yesterday's Vatan newspaper. A married couple with their child were refused service at a Cafe in Istanbul's Yildiz Park because they hugged each other. They were told to leave and that this is now the policy of the company (owned by Istanbul Municipality) running the Cafe - no hugging and no holding hands. The couple, a teacher and a manager, are planning to take legal action. Yes AKP is good for Turkey!!! You may have managed to sell this to the masses in Turkey, but please, Bagis, don't even try to bring this macho religious rhetoric to Los Angeles.

Ayse @ 1:21 PM PDT, Apr 4, 2008

Bulent, you make a good point, AKP benefited tremendously by coming into power at a perfect time in the emerging market investment cycle. Anyone who reads WSJ will have noticed today that all stock markets around the world are in pain this year, including BRIC (32% YTD decline in China). Yet I am sure AKP and its PR will manage to blame the Turkish market decline on the Constitutional Court and somehow will make it stick.

Coskan D @ 9:18 PM PDT, Mar 31, 2008

Further, in 2002, when AKP came into power there were 6 billionaires in Turkey; last month according to Forbes, it now has 36 billionaires, 6th in the world. Erdogan should feel good about that. Unfortunately, recent unemployment numbers vary 10 to 17 % in a country with median age of 29.

Coskan D @ 9:11 PM PDT, Mar 31, 2008

Agreed, except in addition to using religion, I think the real smooth act AKP (or their PR firms) did is to somehow convince the US and EU media that for decades Turkey was run by the "elitists" at the expense of poor common people, and yet with Erdogan, they emerged with rights and power for the people wearing the turban. Turkey has and had its share of poor people just like all developing countries; unfortunately AKP managed to turn this into a class warfare.

Coskan D @ 9:03 PM PDT, Mar 31, 2008

Turgay Tekinay, I would say you should start doing standup. But it needs wit and intelligence, which I can tell that you are lacking, as you don't even have the capacity to understand what you read

Zubeyde Eceabat @ 10:34 AM PDT, Mar 31, 2008

The US should take this cue from secular Turkey and purge the southern baptist run, republican party.

ray @ 9:20 AM PDT, Mar 31, 2008

Cuneyt Serdar you should start doing standup. What you are saying are funny. So, since your relatives graduated from college in 1940's the women today does not have the right to wear headscarves. I pity you.

Turgay Tekinay @ 6:50 AM PDT, Mar 31, 2008

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