Turkey was a creation of Ataturk, who installed a military dictatorship to make the transition from the Ottoman Empire to democracy.
Is that what you call organizing battles on many fronts against the occupying forces of all the allies who won in WWI against the Ottoman Empire, establishing a party, holding democratic elections, "allowing" an opposition party, and thereby installing a democratic tradition?
You are funny :-)
Turks adore Ataturk to this day. His picture is on every wall. "Ataturk" literally means "Father of Turks" (Well, "Ancestor", really, but it translates better as "Father :-) If you ever go to Turkey, I strongly advise you not to speak a harsh word about Ataturk.
When, after the Ottoman Empire, Turks took up surnames, nobody else would go anywhere near "Ataturk" because it was reserved to this one guy who was highly respected and loved for having built an independent country out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, when it was being invaded by the English, French, Italian, Greek etc.
There have been THREE military coups in Turkey. Now tell me which country provides a better example of democracy in action, Turkey or Israel??
Let me let you in on a secret:
Turkey's military is set up as a quasi-independent organization who has the right and the duty to step in and seize power whenever they feel democracy is in danger.
They have done this a couple of times, shortly after all of which they asked for democratic elections and stepped aside. I realize this is not usual and is somewhat difficult to appreciate, but that is their system.
Hence, it is harly fair nor is it a good analysis of the situation to say that Turkey is not a good example of democracy in the region because it has seen coups d'etat.
As an example, the last time the Turkish army seized power was in early 1980s, when the country was on the brink of civil war, with the country's youth divided between right-wing fascist and communist camps popping each other on the streets. Turks were so happy the army took power that they elected the General who led the coup as their President with an overwhelming majority. Not that it mattered that much from a power point of view, since in Turkey, the President does not have all that much power. It is the Prime Minister heading the elected party that has most of the political power.
As for the comparison with Israel, and now that you know all of the above, I hope that you would agree that a democratic Muslim country is a much better example for the Muslim countries in the Middle East than a Jewish country that they see as a brutal occupier of one of their own.
I didn't ask the question about Israel, but I provided you an answer upon your request.
To be clear, I never went out of my way to ask you that question. It was you who decided to reply to that post, albeit with a rather irrelevant question of your own.
Now please provide me mine... If you're capable of defending the indefensible.. :0)
It is not my point so I don't know what to say in its defense. Sort of like if you had asked me why people believe in God :-) |
