"Turkey Comes to the Rescue Again
Turkey Has Done it Before
Hassan Al-Haifi (commonsense@yemen.net.ye)
The role of Turkey in Islamic history is perhaps unequalled by any other Moslem countries. It is the only non-Arab nation which took on the caliphate and ardently defended the nation against unbelievable odds throughout its history. Under the Seljuks, the Turks became a prominent member of nations that stood up for the defense of Islam and were able to contain the Crusades considerably. Even Saladin, who was responsible for liberating Jerusalem from the Crusades and defeating King Richard the Lion-Hearted after teaching him some etiquette and a few other features of Islamic civilization, was far closer to the Turks than to the Arabs. Actually he was a Kurd, but then most of the Turcomen trace themselves to a Kurdish ancestry anyway. Whatever the case, the important thing to remember is that Islam and Turkey are inseparable and the efforts by the West to have Turkey keep its face turned toward the West proved futile, especially as the Europeans continue to give Turkey the runaround about joining the European Union."
More:Turkey Comes to the Rescue Again - Turkey Has Done it Before - opinion - Yemen Times
