Erdogan 1, Ataturk 0

Turkey to become next Islamo-fascist state.

Flush with his third and most resounding electoral victory, Recep Tayyip Erdogan bestrides the Turkish stage like a colossus. That victory was his alone: polling shows that more than half of the 50 percent of Turks who cast their votes for the piously Islamic ruling Freedom and Justice Party (AKP) last month were voting for the ruggedly populist prime minister himself, not his party. His electoral pitch looked far ahead, to 2023—the 100th anniversary of the founding, under Kemal Atatürk, of the modern, and secular, Turkish state following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He makes no bones about intending to be in charge from now until then, as a president endowed with greatly expanded powers under a new Constitution that will refashion Turkey on the model of what he calls “democratic conservatism,” but that his political opponents grimly characterize as Islamo-fascist.

www.thedailybeast.com...

What's happening in Turkey? Looks like the new prime minister is bent on doing away with the secularism that was Ataturk's key reform. The separation of religion from matters of the state made Turkey rare among Middle Eastern countries. And as such were an obvious ally for the West. Will this now change?

I admit I'm surprised at Washington's response. And Europe's, as well. Even though it looks like Turkey is becoming more totalitarian, they both espouse that it's becoming more democratic. Hmmm...

In Washington, the State Department affirmed its “total faith” in all Turkish institutions, civilian and military. Ria Oomen, the European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, was positively gushing: “Turkey is getting more democratic by the day.”

The European Commission has blandly described the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer trials as “an opportunity for Turkey to strengthen confidence in the proper functioning of its democratic institutions and the rule of law.”

But the way the investigations have been conducted, and the ever-swelling list of detainees, suggests not so much a democracy resolutely confronting malign forces from the past as Stalin’s military show trials of 1938 and Hitler’s systematic crushing of all opposition after coming to power in 1933. As the supposedly “pragmatic” Erdogan stealthily undermines the separation of state and religion that was Atatürk’s key reform, there is a reek of totalitarian sulfur in the Turkish air.

It's pretty clear the direction Turkey, and the world is heading. A wave of neo-conservative fascism is enveloping the globe. It makes no difference if the backing religion is Christianity or Islam, the goal is the same.

I recommend you read the entire article, as I want to quote the entire thing, but I'd probably get in trouble for excessive quoting. Just one more...

...journalists, academics, businessmen, and even jurists are vulnerable: anyone who criticizes the AKP; champions equal rights for Turkey’s large Kurdish minority; or, still more perilous, probes the penetration of Turkish schools, universities, media, and bureaucracy by the AKP’s own “deep state” ally, a wealthy and powerful Islamist movement directed from luxurious self-exile in the U.S. by Imam Fethullah Gülen, Erdogan’s friend and mentor.

very interesting thread
i too see the changes to more religion in turkey. imo, a change to bad, i hoped for a more open and progressive way towards modern democracy. erdogan seems to be very popular, i wonder what are the circumstances for this shift. i mean, what on earth can be better than an open democratic society with human rights on its banner ?

It's been a while since I originally posted this. It didn't garner too much interest at the time, but maybe it's time to revisit the topic. There have since been some alarming developments that have even the mainstream media sounding warning bells.

Back in 2011 the civil war in Syria was just beginning. There was no sign of ISIS/ISIL yet, so what was happening in Turkey went unnoticed. But since then we've seen Syria drag on, and the rise of the ISIS/ISIL. And Turkey's provocative actions should have us asking some serious questions. Are they aiding ISIS/ISIL? Is it time to kick Turkey out of NATO?

When, at the beginning of this year, Erdogan cited Hitler's Germany as the best presidential system, it just indicates he's ready to go full on dictator.

Erdogan is turning his country into an Islam-tilted dictatorship

Rather than a secular democracy, Erdogan is turning his country into an Islam-tilted dictatorship. Eight years ago, 300,000 secularist Turks waved banners showing Atatürk’s picture as they demonstrated against Erdogan’s increasingly Islamic agenda. Nevertheless, Erdogan has remained popular. Through three successive elections since 2003 he’s won the prime minister’s job. He’s since been elected president.

Erdogan wants to turn Turkey into Islamist state, bets on uneducated masses - CIA veteran

The skies above Syria are crowded with military planes from various nations. However, the non-stop bombardment of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) seems to be producing nothing in return. The group still maintains the ability to strike anytime, anywhere - even in the US. And while Western nations along with Russia are trying to destroy IS, some of America’s alleged "allies" in the region seem to be playing their own game. Can a war be won in such conditions? Can progress be made if only some are committed to end the fighting? We pose these questions, and many more, to an ex-CIA agent and counter-terrorism expert. Philip Giraldi is on Sophie&Co today.

Turkey's a huge question mark right now. With them being a NATO member it could cause some sticky situations in the next few years.

Does Erdogan Want His Own Islamic State?