Sunday, July 13, 2008

Turkish Secularism Is Democratic

"Turkish Secularism Is Democratic
Turkey
E. Haldun Solmazturk

At the heart of the political debate in Turkey lies the tension between Islam and secularism. Is the former democratic and the latter, at least in Turkey, autocratic? Ömer Taşpinar, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institute, recently argued this case in Foreign Affairs ('The Old Turks' Revolt,' November/December 2007). His thesis is trendy in certain circles, but it is dishonest. He bases his argument on false assumptions, cherry-picks data, and ignores context. What results is not so much scholarship as propaganda."

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