Jihadi Du Jour: Turkey's secularism, Islam and the EU

In the past Turkey was promoted as a model for Islamic countries, a model for democratization in the Middle East, and a potential soft power in the region. What's up with Turkey? Or maybe I should say what's down with Turkey today. Turkey has been known for it's secularism in the past, which made them a country in the Middle East that had potential. But that seems to be going in the opposite direction now. These changes may keep Turkey out of the European Union.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said yesterday "A deep cultural misunderstanding between Western and Muslim societies is fueling radical groups around the world", is meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush today. The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, will be a focus of Erdogan's meeting with Bush.

Secularism has a different meaning for the West than it does in the Middle East. In fact, there is a disconnect on many levels and the understanding between meaning of words in the ME and the West can be a problem. A 'soft power' also has a ver different meaning in the ME.

Soft power is defined as the ability to get what you want by attracting and persuading others to adopt your goals. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. "The Decline of America's Soft Power," Foreign Affairs. May/June 2004. source

Just two years ago, polls showed that more than 70 percent of Turks wanted to join the European Union, but that has slipped to 43 percent and continue to decline today. Why is the desire to join the EU slipping?

The most obvious frictions are over Cyprus: Turks feel they are being bullied by Brussels into making further concessions over the divided island. [snip]
The cost and hassle of implementing the EU's 80,000-page Acquis Communautaire—the vast canon of rules and regulations on everything from air quality to the size and shape of bananas... (more) Hat tip Toasted Bread

If Turkey does not enter the EU, some believe it 'will be in danger of backsliding into "inward-looking nationalism"'. Jacques Chirac says 'Turkey must recognise the Armenian Genocide before being able to adhere the European Union.

The Turkey-as-a-model argument had in fact emerged after the end of the Cold War. Anthony Blinkmen, President Clinton's Special Assistant and Senior Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council stated that "Turkey sits at the crossroads--or, if you prefer, atop the fault lines--of the world. Because of its place ... its history ... its size ... and strength, and most important, because of what it is--a nation of mainly Islamic faith that is secular, democratic, and modernizing--Turkey must be a leader and can be a role model for a large swath of the world." [snip]
The notion of Turkey being a model for Islamic countries reemerged more forcefully after September 11. President George W. Bush, attending the Istanbul NATO Summit in June 2004, said "I appreciate very much the example that your country has set on how to be a Muslim country which embraces democracy, rule of law and freedom." ... [snip]

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reacted to this characterization by stating that "Turkey is neither an Islamic republic, nor an example of moderate Islam." source

On politics, 'Turkey's staunchly pro-secular president warned on Sunday of a continued Islamic fundamentalist threat to Turkey and said the military, the traditional guardians of the secular system, must be kept powerful. . . . His words appeared to be aimed at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, which has Islamic roots, and against the European Union which has been pressuring Turkey into curbing the military's powers.' A little history:

When the modern Turkish republic was born in 1923, its founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk pushed through what was arguably the most radical programme of secularisation ever attempted in any Muslim society, before or since.
Ataturk believed secular nationalism was an essential hallmark of modernity and progress.

Since the 1970s there have been a series of Muslim political parties, the latest of which, Justice and Development, came to power with a big majority last year. source

On Islam and the Pope's recent comments:

Erdogan, a pious Muslim who served a short jail sentence once for reciting a poem deemed Islamist by Turkey's secular authorities, said everybody, especially public figures such as the Pope, should show respect for other religions and cultures.
"The Pope is both a political and religious figure. But this person spoke in a way that is unfitting even for us politicians," Erdogan told an economic conference in Istanbul.

"When disrespect was shown for my Prophet (Mohammad) we could not tolerate this." Erdogan described the comments at the time as "ugly and unfortunate" and called for a papal apology. source

Can we presume from Erdogan's statements that had the Pope made his speech in Turkey he would have been arrested??? Something to think about.

Originally posted at Right Truth

Labels: Christianity vs Islam, Democracy, Turkey