Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Religious-Secular Divide and the Battle for Turkey's Future

"Religious Turks, despite their recent elevation from the fringes of Turkish society into the higher echelons of politics, still harbour resentment against the state. "It is retaliation time," as one shopkeeper told me during a recent visit to Turkey. "It is time to revolt against the excesses of Atatürk."

"Fears of such an Islamist revolution have led hundreds of thousands of Turks to march in various cities in the past month. Now, if the same zeal can be applied to the July 22 voting for president, the heart of the holiday season for non-AKP voters, there just might be hope for the great legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk."
World Politics Review | The Religious-Secular Divide and the Battle for Turkey's Future

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