"A battle for the future
Jul 19th 2007 | ANKARA, DIYARBAKIR AND ISTANBUL
From The Economist print edition
The importance of this weekend's election goes well beyond Turkey itself
AP
ON JULY 22nd Turkey, still an adolescent democracy, goes to the polls. The event is being followed carefully far from its own borders. For one thing, the country is of huge strategic importance. It borders the European Union to the west and the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq and Syria to the east and south. Iraq is especially crucial, as Turkey's army is threatening to invade its northern region to root out Kurdish terrorists there. Outsiders are also monitoring Turkey as one of the Muslim world's rare examples of a working democracy."
More:Turkey's election | A battle for the future | Economist.com
