Ever Been in a Turkish Bible Study?
Apparently, the very prospect is unnerving some Turks:
I think the author misses a fundamental point here.
Kemal Ataturk founded the modern Turkish state along strict secular lines. Since Ataturk's reign, there has been considerable tension between religion and government within Turkey. The Turkish military is a strictly secular institution which views itself as the guardian of Ataturk's legacy and occasionally interposes in governmental affairs whenever it believes that legacy to be in jeopardy. The net result is that Turkey's government is less insterested in Islamic practices than its population, particularly its rural population.
Ironically, it is the Europeans who are pressuring Turkey to embrace Islam more in its governmental affairs, since EU membership for Turkey is in part contingent upon weakening the role of the military in Turkish society (the EUnuchs don't like the military unless it's a foreign one marching through their conquered lands, at which point the bootlicking begins immediately). The weakening of the military necessarily strengthens the hand of the current Islamicist government. And that, in turn, endanger's Ataturk's legacy of strict secular rule.
Turkey missed out on a chance to help formulate policy for post-war Iraq in such a way as to reduce the ability of Kurdish terrorist groups to agitate in southeastern Turkey. The EUnuchs dangled the EU membership carrot before the Turks on the condition that they refuse to allow the U.S. to stage out of Turkey, as had been done in the past.
Thus Turkey, which one would think would be very pleased at the prospect of emerging democratic rule in the Mideast, is now in a bit of a quandary. Does it side with its Cold War ally, America, and thus gain prestige and influence in the region at the expense of EU membership? Or does it continue to alienate itself from the U.S., hoping that the Europeans will eventually follow through with full EU membership?
The answer is actually quite clear, should the Turks allow themselves to admit it. The Europeans are liars and will never allow Turkey into the EU. Moreover, the increasing Islamicist penetration of Western Europe ensures that moderate, democratic Turkey will continue to hold a special place within the singular hatred of the growing Muslim minority in these countries, and their influence will continue to color the policies of France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the rest toward Turkey.
Turkey's best bet is to rekindle the alliance with America and leverage it to increase her domestic security, increase her regional influence, and angle for the potential oil pipeline to the Black Sea to run from Iraq through Turkey, and not from Iran through the former Soviet republics.
At the end of the day, what Turkey must comprehend is the need for a separation of church and state. This was put forth brilliantly in the New Testament two millennia ago: "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's; Render unto God what is God's." In Turkey, the Caesar has been very lustful and dominant for many decades. The time has come to limit his powers and render unto God what is God's. Missionaries should have the right to preach the Gospel and open their churches. Muslims should have the right to advocate Islam and run their mosques. (At present they are supposed to believe in "official Islam," attend the state-controlled mosques, and act as non-Muslims in the public square.) And every other creed should be free to sermonize according to its own teaching.
I think the author misses a fundamental point here.
Kemal Ataturk founded the modern Turkish state along strict secular lines. Since Ataturk's reign, there has been considerable tension between religion and government within Turkey. The Turkish military is a strictly secular institution which views itself as the guardian of Ataturk's legacy and occasionally interposes in governmental affairs whenever it believes that legacy to be in jeopardy. The net result is that Turkey's government is less insterested in Islamic practices than its population, particularly its rural population.
Ironically, it is the Europeans who are pressuring Turkey to embrace Islam more in its governmental affairs, since EU membership for Turkey is in part contingent upon weakening the role of the military in Turkish society (the EUnuchs don't like the military unless it's a foreign one marching through their conquered lands, at which point the bootlicking begins immediately). The weakening of the military necessarily strengthens the hand of the current Islamicist government. And that, in turn, endanger's Ataturk's legacy of strict secular rule.
Turkey missed out on a chance to help formulate policy for post-war Iraq in such a way as to reduce the ability of Kurdish terrorist groups to agitate in southeastern Turkey. The EUnuchs dangled the EU membership carrot before the Turks on the condition that they refuse to allow the U.S. to stage out of Turkey, as had been done in the past.
Thus Turkey, which one would think would be very pleased at the prospect of emerging democratic rule in the Mideast, is now in a bit of a quandary. Does it side with its Cold War ally, America, and thus gain prestige and influence in the region at the expense of EU membership? Or does it continue to alienate itself from the U.S., hoping that the Europeans will eventually follow through with full EU membership?
The answer is actually quite clear, should the Turks allow themselves to admit it. The Europeans are liars and will never allow Turkey into the EU. Moreover, the increasing Islamicist penetration of Western Europe ensures that moderate, democratic Turkey will continue to hold a special place within the singular hatred of the growing Muslim minority in these countries, and their influence will continue to color the policies of France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the rest toward Turkey.
Turkey's best bet is to rekindle the alliance with America and leverage it to increase her domestic security, increase her regional influence, and angle for the potential oil pipeline to the Black Sea to run from Iraq through Turkey, and not from Iran through the former Soviet republics.
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