TALKING TURKEY AT THE EU

VUE Weekly, Edmonton, Canada
July 19 2007

In a surprise early election to be held this coming Sunday in Turkey,
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his mildly Islamist AK party are
expected to cruise to victory, defeating a splintered secularist
opposition. The real battle, though, may take place between the
AK party and Turkey’s meddlesome generals. The military views
protecting Turkey’s secularism as its utmost duty, and doesn’t like
the AK party’s religious leanings. In April, the army hinted that,
if Erdogan returns to power unopposed, another military coup (the
fifth in Turkey’s history) might be looming.

This is not good news for ordinary Turks. Erdogan’s government has been
the most successful in years-solid economic policy has resulted in
strong growth and low inflation. Equally impressive are the judicial
and constitutional reforms, leading to more freedom for minorities
like Kurds and Armenians and trimming the military’s power. So far the
most polemic religious issue involves Mrs Erdogan’s choice to wear a
headscarf in public, but this shouldn’t really shock the military, as
55 per cent of Turkish women also wear one. The generals, however, fear
that if the AK party gains the Presidency (elected by the Parliament),
they may show their true extremist colours.

But in Turkey, Islamic extremism is not the major concern it may
be elsewhere. Much more worrying is the growing trend of Turkish
ultra-nationalism. These far-right groups are inspired by founder of
modern day Turkey and ardent secularist Kemal Ataturk and his lingering
cult of personality. In addition to disliking Erdogan’s devoutness,
many see him as an American stooge and dislike his catering to
minorities. While the quasi-fascist NM party only rates 10 per cent
in the polls, this nationalistic group makes up a lot of the urban
elite and represents a continuing threat to Turkish democracy through
the power they exert with the military.

It has been over four decades since Turkey first applied for membership
into the European Union. Only this year did membership talks finally
begin, mostly through Erdogan’s hard work. But support for Turkish
membership is low in most European countries and outright hostile in a
few (like France). Not many expect the membership talks to bear fruit
any time soon. Many Turks see this as a western prejudice against
Turkey, and even the entire Islamic world.

Continued exclusion only adds to the nationalist movement in Turkey.

The best place to keep Turkey, whose democratic institutions could
serve as a model for other Islamic countries, is close by.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress