http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31572257
This suggests the troops are not staying. Still, if anyone wants to reestablish the Caliphate, Turkey held it the longest.
Revive the Ottoman Empire! Let them clean up the mess... >:D
I just read something the other day that the current leadership of Turkey is trying to bring more religious instruction into schools and daily life. I don't know how secular Turkey is today, but, from the tone of the article, it seems that this is seen as an intrusion rather than something welcomed by the populace with open arms.
Quote from: MetalDog on February 22, 2015, 02:02:30 PM
I just read something the other day that the current leadership of Turkey is trying to bring more religious instruction into schools and daily life. I don't know how secular Turkey is today, but, from the tone of the article, it seems that this is seen as an intrusion rather than something welcomed by the populace with open arms.
Over the past decade or so Turkey's government has been attempting to slowly turn from a secular culture to one more religious. IIRC the military is the one that holds the reins there and in the past they've periodically stepped in whenever they thought the civilians were getting out of hand. No idea where they sit politically these days but in the past I believe they were pro secular.
Kemal Ataturk felt that Islam held Turkey back. When he assumed power after the end of WWI, he worked very long to make Turkey a secular society. He was very successful in the military.
Not surprisingly, the new leadership made it a point to bring down most senior military leaders in a "plot" to overthrow the government.
They are very pro-secular, which is why there was a series of arrests and purges among the top military leaders by the current Erdogan gov't to ensure the ones most likely to 'step in' wouldn't be in command to do it.
Turkey is a very different country today than it was even 10 years ago. Secularism is on the wane big time. And Erdogan is similar in many ways to Putin...and he's definitely no friend of the West.
Quote from: Airborne Rifles on February 22, 2015, 01:08:01 PM
Revive the Ottoman Empire! Let them clean up the mess... >:D
What I have been saying for years.
Egyptian President says that more Arab states need to join the fight against ISIS (before they take over all of Arabia...
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/23/middleeast/isis-crisis/index.html
The word "fascism" sounds old fashioned. It's supposed to be dead. But that pretty well sums up these Islamic radicals. They're religious fascists. Just as with WWII they need to be stopped.
Quote from: Gusington on February 22, 2015, 04:54:42 PM
Turkey is a very different country today than it was even 10 years ago. Secularism is on the wane big time. And Erdogan is similar in many ways to Putin...and he's definitely no friend of the West.
I agree. Erdogan has successfully had major purges of the military leadership and the judiciary for those less enthused with his control over government or his movement to have a more Muslim based government. It is a very different country than 5-10 years ago.
Quote from: airboy on February 23, 2015, 06:41:58 PM
Quote from: Gusington on February 22, 2015, 04:54:42 PM
Turkey is a very different country today than it was even 10 years ago. Secularism is on the wane big time. And Erdogan is similar in many ways to Putin...and he's definitely no friend of the West.
I agree. Erdogan has successfully had major purges of the military leadership and the judiciary for those less enthused with his control over government or his movement to have a more Muslim based government. It is a very different country than 5-10 years ago.
I agree. Erdogan's support tends to be focused in Anatolia amongst the agrarian population, which is often poor, uneducated, and very conservative. On the flip side, people in the big cities like Istanbul tend to have more 'Western lifestyles', are much more liberal and pro-secular. But then again they have seen the benefits of living in a secular society, whereas the agrarian poor have not so much. Unfortunately, poverty and ignorance often go hand in hand.
Quote from: Centurion40 on February 23, 2015, 09:40:50 AM
Egyptian President says that more Arab states need to join the fight against ISIS (before they take over all of Arabia...
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/23/middleeast/isis-crisis/index.html
But the Turks are NOT Arabs.
Slightly OT: Why is everyone referring to IS as Islamic State? The vast majority of muslim leaders seem to be condemning their actions, and say they don't represent Islam. Would it not be more appropriate to refer to them as Satanic State, on the basis of their "evil" actions :forced conversions, mass rape, mass killing of non-combatants, etc...? Describing them thus might help undermine their propaganda, and put their actions into a sharper, less perjorative perspective. I wonder what you guys think of that description for that regime?
Quote from: bayonetbrant on February 22, 2015, 02:33:01 PM
They are very pro-secular, which is why there was a series of arrests and purges among the top military leaders by the current Erdogan gov't to ensure the ones most likely to 'step in' wouldn't be in command to do it.
incidentally....
http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-court-acquits-defendants-over-2003-alleged-coup-093607384.html
Quote from: Boggit on March 01, 2015, 07:16:35 PM
Quote from: Centurion40 on February 23, 2015, 09:40:50 AM
Egyptian President says that more Arab states need to join the fight against ISIS (before they take over all of Arabia...
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/23/middleeast/isis-crisis/index.html
But the Turks are NOT Arabs.
Slightly OT: Why is everyone referring to IS as Islamic State? The vast majority of muslim leaders seem to be condemning their actions, and say they don't represent Islam. Would it not be more appropriate to refer to them as Satanic State, on the basis of their "evil" actions :forced conversions, mass rape, mass killing of non-combatants, etc...? Describing them thus might help undermine their propaganda, and put their actions into a sharper, less perjorative perspective. I wonder what you guys think of that description for that regime?
Well they act according to the instructions in the quaran.
And most arabic leaders fear for their own leadership should IS become to strong.