"The End of the Kemalist Affair
When was the last time a conservative NATO army pushed out its highest-ranking officers?
By Christopher HitchensPosted Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at 11:32 AM ET
(Left) Gen. Isik Kosaner. Click image to expand.Turkey's Gen. Isik Kosaner and Cmdr. Necdet Ozel To read of the stunning news, of the almost-overnight liquidation of the Ataturkist or secularist military caste, and to try to do so from the standpoint of a seriously secular Turk, is to have a small share in the sense of acute national vertigo that must have accompanied the proclamation of a new system in the second two decades of the 20th century."
More:Turkey: Last week's mass military resignations signal the end of Ataturk's secular vision. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine
