When It Comes to Debate Over Turkey and Islam, the Left Is Dazed and Confused
It would be a mistake to draw a direct correlation between recent protests in Taksim Square and Turkey's larger struggle over secularism and Islam. Initially, it was a small group of environmentalists and apolitical folk who propelled demonstrations to public attention. Over time, however, more diverse constituencies joined the fray, including both secular and Kemalist supporters of Turkey's CHP or Republican People's Party, as well as far left and neo-nationalist groups. According to the Economist magazine, protesters come from widely diverse backgrounds including young and old, pious and secular, gays, Armenians, atheists and even anarchists. Grievances of the demonstrators, meanwhile, also vary considerably with some protesting neo-liberal economic policies and others concentrating on environmental concerns, human rights abuses, crackdowns on freedom of the press and even repression of the Kurdish minority.
More:Nikolas Kozloff: When It Comes to Debate Over Turkey and Islam, the Left Is Dazed and Confused
