President Obama counts Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as among his favorite leaders, and successive American ambassadors to Turkey—Eric Edelman being the exception—bought the notion that Erdoğan truly sought to liberalize, modernize, and democratize Turkey. Erdoğan has just put to rest the idea this was his goal. Speaking to an assembly from his ruling party, Erdoğan addressed criticism leveled by the main secular opposition party:
“Do you expect the conservative democrat AK Party to raise atheist generations? This may be your business and objective but not ours. We will raise a generation that is conservative and democratic and embraces the values and historical principles of its nation.”
In other words, Erdoğan’s goal is to indoctrinate a generation into accepting his Islamist interpretations of the role of religion in politics. True, Erdoğan still embraces the rhetoric of democracy but, then again, so did Muammar Qaddafi, Bashar al-Assad, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His record on democracy leaves much to be desired, as his evisceration of free expression in Turkey demonstrates.
Turkey was a model precisely because it developed a liberal, democratic system that was not anti-religion, but which sought to constrain the blurring of religion and politics. Erdoğan has turned that model on its head. The Obama administration—and, frankly, the Bush administration before it—are guilty of tremendous diplomatic malpractice for refusing to recognize the reality behind Erdoğan’s rhetoric.
You've got to be kidding. That quote could have been taken from a campaign speech by any one of the GOP candidates (except Ron Paul, of course).
Yes, but given Erdogan's Islamist agenda and vile remarks about Israel, I think there's reason to read between the lines.
Okay, but the point, for me at least, is that statements like the one Erdogan made are just as alarming when they come from candidates for public office in the U.S. I don't want a candidate who believes that fighting atheism is what he or she should be doing in public office. I wouldn't want it if I lived in Turkey and the religious beliefs being pushed are Islamic, and I don't want it as an American living in the United States where the religious beliefs being pushed are Christian — and one very narrow sect of Christianity at that. The statement is alarming in and of itself, just as it is, without needing to read between the lines. I wouldn't vote for a candidate who said something like that, which of course is why I don't support any of the current Republican candidates.
Nobody "lost" Turkey – it's just that demography is destiny – and the birth rates in observant families in Turkey are far higher than in secular ones. To expect this to not have an effect on Turkish society is naive. Ataturk and the Rumelians had the upper hand – now, the Anatolians do. However, the Kurdish minority is outgrowing both.
Its funny how when Turkey got upset at Israel's illegal raid on the flotilla, every western media outlet is doing its best to degrage Turkey. This is completely ridiculous, any pro-Israel media needs to be double checked. Republicans in the US have Bible based agendas ALL THE TIME. So what if Erdogan said he wants a CONSERVATIVE (POLITICALLY speaking, not religiously) society? The people of Turkey WANT him in power. If my leader Stephen Harper, a conservative said he wants a conservative future for Canada, does that mean he wants his religous ideas forced upon everyone? n nNo one in Turkey objects to Erdogan, I suggest you all stop ranting at him.
Ibjack, Israel is MUCH more vile to Turkey. Israel was thinking of arming the PKK, a well known world wide terror group. n nWhy are some people born brainless?
typo in previous post "…doing its best to DEGRADE Turkey…"