Turkey is also an Islamic country and has been a functioning democracy since the nineteen-twenties if I am correct. It will be a very tough task, but not impossible. The alternative is the return of the Taliban. In short there is no alternative.
It is a fact that democracy and personal freedom are anti-Islamic concepts.
Turkey has, as you note, been showcase for the success of "democracy" in an Islamic nation. That is about like saying that "minister" who protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq is representative of Christianity.
In recent surveys there is more hatred for Western freedom in Turkey than most other Islamic nations, as the thinking of individual citizens shows a growing trend toward embracing what the fundamentalist clerics are telling them regarding the superiority of the repressive practices of Islam. Turkey's entrance into the EU, given its current trending, is more a statement regarding the desperation of the EU--and wishful thinking on the part of the world that does not understand and/or accept the realities of Islam-- I'm afraid, than of Turkey moving away from the predominant theme of Islam: The absolute and complete domination of all land and people of the world.
Although the Qur'an does not always hold one consistent view about many issues, there is no ambiguity about how government is to be handled.
Words like "freedom" and "democracy" are used in Islamic societies, but they have no meaning for those who do not contribute to the growth of Islam. In nominal Islamic societies, such as Turkey, the freely elected governments and leaders, elected by the majority of votes, are under threat of assassination by fundamentalists who are angered that the government shows respect for the free will of the people. This kind of pressure from fundamentalists has caused nominal Muslim governments in almost all Islamic countries to unwillingly show favor towards fundamentalists. Although this type of behavior has been necessary for democratically elected governments to gain momentum, in Turkey the influence of fundamentalists is moving that country toward more of a hard line Islamic fundamentalism--whether "freely elected" or not. .
The illusion of democracy to "choose" one repressive religious zealot or another is not my idea of freedom, yet in our politically correct world we have to pretend that even if a nation elects Satan himself it is a good thing.