"Support Secular Turks
Support Secular Turks
Something momentous is happening in Turkey right now. Most Americans, preoccupied with Iraq, may not be aware of it – or even care. Well, they should.
First, a brief précis for the uninitiated. During the past week, hundreds of thousands of secular Turks have been demonstrating in different parts of the country. They are protesting against the nomination of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as a candidate in the country’s upcoming Presidential election. Gul was nominated by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. Erdogan's supporters have spoken against restrictions on wearing Islamic-style head scarves in government offices and schools; and they support religious schools. His government also tried to criminalize adultery, before being forced to back down under intense European Union pressure; and some party-run municipalities have taken steps to ban alcohol. Secularists fear that if Gul becomes president, he could challenge the country's secular system. Gul is a pious Muslim, who made his career in the country's Islamist political movement. "
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