"Secular Turks and Islamists fight for supremacy in the courts and streets
As Ankara begins entry negotiations, attempts are being made to sabotage its chances
Ian Traynor in Istanbul
Monday June 12, 2006
The Guardian
A statue of Ataturk is reflected in the window of an Islamic clothes shop in Ankara
A statue of Ataturk is reflected in the window of an Islamic clothes shop in Ankara. Photograph: Tarik Tinazay/Getty
When it comes to negotiating the treacherous faultlines of Turkey's fast road to modernity, chewing gum and garlic can make a dangerous cocktail. As Veysel Dalci, a leader of the governing party of pragmatic Islamists in Ordu on the Black Sea, stepped up to place a wreath at a monument to Ataturk - Father of the Turks - on Sovereignty Day, he was seen chewing gum."
More:Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Secular Turks and Islamists fight for supremacy in the courts and streets
