"Islam has role in Turkish politics, says Erdogan
Published: Monday, 17 April, 2006, 11:32 AM Doha Time
ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the weekend stepped up the war of words between his Islamist-rooted government and the country’s secular president, saying Muslims had a place in politics.
“Religious people also have a right to practice politics ... you cannot stop them from doing so,” he told a gathering in Istanbul on Saturday. “If you want to keep the faithful out of politics, the people will never forgive you.”
Last Wednesday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer warned that Turkey faced a mounting risk from Islamic fundamentalists bent on undermining the secular administration."
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