Western democracy is something relative. We can see it in stages:
1. "Direct democracy" comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty was lodged in the assembly of all citizens. Depending on the particular system, this assembly might pass executive motions (decrees), make law, elect and dismiss officials and conduct trials. Where the assembly elected officials, these were executive agents rather than representatives. It assumes a "mature" population since the citizens must participate and they have to be responsible. A example for a working direct democracy is Switzerland.
2. "Representative democracy" is a form of democracy founded on the exercice of popular sovereignty by the people's representants. It is a theory of civics in which voters choose (in free, secret, multi-party elections) representatives to act in their interests, but not as their proxies—i.e., not necessarily according to their voters' wishes, but with enough authority to exercise initiative in the face of changing circumstances. Another form of representative democracy involves impartial selection of representatives through sortition. The citizens of a representative democracy do not have to be that "mature" than those in a direct democracy since the representatives take over the responsibility for most of the decisions that have to be done. Most people in the western hemisphere live in representative democracys. Examples are the US, UK, Germany etc.
3. "Guided democracy". This is usually a form of gouvernment that combines oppression of opposition with rudimentary elements of representative democracy. It doesn't need very mature citizens since the real power lies in the hands of the "representatives". This can be a reasonable thing to do if we think of the Palestinians i.e.. It is better to have a calculable semi-democratic government in Gaza and West Bank compared to a fully democratic crazy Hamas gouvernment that is a eminent threat to the free world. It is sad but true that this is probably the same thing all over the whole islamic world. Islam as a religion can not be erased. Therefore it is better to control it. This has to be done in different occurrence in the different muslim countries. Turkey is for sure the land with the most mature population within the muslim world. Its democracy is guided but for sure a model where much of the will its the population is transmitted into practical policy. The Turkish millitary and its point of view is something the west can live with. To provoke them without any need is contraproductive.