Why Turkey should fear itself

CNN ^ | Sat October 10, 2015 | Soner Cagaptay

[MinorityRepublican]

Saturday's attack in the Turkish capital is as close to Turkey's 9/11 as the country has gotten. Twin bombings in downtown Ankara, across from the city's busy central train station and only minutes from key government buildings, killed at least 95 people and injured hundreds more. It is, in short, the worst terror attack in the country's history.

The massacre is saddening and shocking, all the more so because it runs counter to the perception of Turkey as relatively stable and peaceful. Although it borders the tumultuous Middle East, Turkey has a vibrant economy, a large middle class and democratic governance. Violence of this magnitude is unprecedented in the country's modern politics.

But troubling as this weekend's attack is in and of itself, it also comes at a time of increasing polarization, both socially and politically -- divisions that are being exacerbated by the very personal nature of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule.

Since coming to power in 2003, Erdogan has run the country through his Justice and Development Party (AKP), winning successive elections. But while his ultra-conservative, right wing approach has delivered economic growth, there has been a dark side to his rule.

[MinorityRepublican]

Erdogan's rule is not conservative and right wing. It's called fundamentalist Muslim.

[House Atreides]

Erdogan’s rule is not conservative and right wing. It’s called fundamentalist Muslim.
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Quite correct, Erdogan is nothing more than an Islamist. And the recent bombings were most likely done at his initiation IMHO. Their intent was to suppress voting by Kurds in the upcoming election...and the bombings may have enough effect to help Erdogan’s party remain in power.

TURKEY IS NOT A FRIEND OF THE WEST!!

[Repeal The 17th]

Whoever decided that Turkey should be a part of NATO was on some bad drugs.

[Eagles6]

How CNN of the author. “Why, they’re just like the Tea Party!”

[fatnotlazy]

Was on a cruise in the late 90s, which originated in Istanbul. At the time, the country had a secular government and a number of women wore western dress, including the tour guide. But the guide told us tourists that more and more hard line Islamists were being elected to parliament and she was concerned that they would eventually take over the government entirely. Bye, bye pantsuit, hello burqa.

[dp0622]

Thank you. All of you. For saving me typing.

Apparently there was a reason to have Turkey in NATO long ago as a strategic part of defense against the USSR.

That is long gone.

let him be entombed in the 100m dollar mosque he built in maryland.

This CNN article was written by a naive 10 year old.

[Repeal The 17th]

Forget about Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
Turkey is the place to watch.
Look at a map.
Putin would love to have it.

[jonatron]

Thanksgiving’s approaching, nowhere to run.

[MinorityRepublican]

Islam and secular society cannot coexist.

[fatnotlazy]

It's a shame. At the time I was there, Turkey was building up tourism and it was thriving. Then 9/11 happened plus the hard liners took over and now the place is becoming a cesspool. The US is headed in the same direction as Muzzies invade us and our government is taken over by commies.

[Jimmy Valentine]

It has been every Tsars dream at least from Peter the Great to control the Bosphorus and the Levant. Tsar Vladimir Putin is no different

[Gen.Blather]

“Whoever decided that Turkey should be a part of NATO was on some bad drugs.”

At the time, there were just two camps; East and West. In the absence of satellite data on the Soviets and the danger of sending flights over, it was decided that the mountains on Turkey’s border were the perfect observation post from which to watch the Soviets. At the time, Turkey was a secular military dictatorship. It was stable and relatively prosperous. Times have changed. It is now time to eject them from NATO. But it’s like the couple long married but wanting a divorce. The wife wants it but is afraid of the consequences. So she continues living in steadily worsening circumstances. Eventually, he’ll kill her.

[Joe Boucher]

Turkey turned their collective backs on us during our Iraq wars and American soldiers died as a result.
Turkey and it people can go to hell.

[McGruff]

As a youngster I remember Turkey being an ally because they allowed us to put missiles there to counter the Soviet Union. Then Khrushchev decided to do the same in Cuba. Luckily we survived that. That was 50 years ago. Wonder where those missiles are now.

[PIF]

Hard liners have infested the country side since Mohamed’s Disciples took over - when I was there back in the late 60s, there was almost a rigid line demarcating city end and countryside begins.

Some guys had special side-looking lens made for their cameras so they could take pictures of men (without stealing their souls) or of women (and remain alive).