[theothercheek]

“Relatively” is relative when you’re Armenian, Greek or Kurdish. Democracy is like pregnancy - you can’t be a little democratic, just like you can’t be a little pregant. You is or you ain’t.

[Atlantic Bridge]

I am well aware that the Armenian, Greek or Kurdish have reason to hate Turkey from the bottom pf their hearts. Nevertheless this has nothing to do with the fact that the Turkish gouvernmental model for muslims is probably the best in the muslim world. We are talking of "Realpolitik" and pragmatism here and not about the wishful thinking of a pro-christian nation in the ME.

Democracy and Islam are simply not compatible. Therefore it is in the interest of the western world and the ruled muslims to look for other systems that provide a possible maximum of freedom and security. Since Turkey has such a system, it is a comparatively stable entity that tries to stay close to the west.

As I already said - a positive example for the rest of the ME.