"Turkey's ripple effect By George S. Hishmeh, Special to Gulf News Published: September 05, 2007, 23:21 While Turkey was fully focused last week on the election by parliament of its 11th president, Abdullah Gul, elsewhere, especially in the Arab world, the event was being closely watched to see whether this observant Muslim will make it to the top. When he did and no adverse reaction followed, there was a sigh of relief but surprisingly there was scant comment on this pace-setting democratic development. The ripple effect may yet be felt, some may say hopefully, in the Arab world where several of the regimes are notoriously autocratic."
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