[WilliamofCarmichael]

The Imam’s Army, which claims that the followers of Fethullah Gülen—a Turkish preacher living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania—have infiltrated the police. Şık describes a close relationship between the AKP (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s party) and the Gülenists, arguing that the former has used the latter to bring the security forces under its control.

Hundreds of thousands have protested in the streets against this Islamism (political Islam, sharia law advocacy) -- the last poll I saw said that 40 percent of Turks (all Muslims) will NOT tolerate Sharia Law -- they totally reject what the AKP and the Gülenists are doing.

When the AK Party was elected in 2002 they promised to respect modern Turkey's secular heritage. After being elected to retain control a couple of years ago it appears that they are off to establish an Iran-like Islamic "republic."

I guess the Turks opposing the islamists are Islamophobes? :) Here in the U.S. they'd be ostracized by the P.C. nitwits.

[kenavi]

Boy, can she (he) write!

Would that all journalists, "er" or "suter", wrote at this level.

[rmlew]

I’ve told Claire to watch her back. I fully expect that some “random street thug” will assault or kill her.