Turkey often is taken as an example of Muslim country that has kept a democratic form of government for almost a hundred years. That is partly true, if you take into account the crucial role of the secular military in backing democratic governments with the threat of force. But now Islamic militants, probably backed by the government, are trying to control the military.
MEMRI presents a report on these crucial developments. Apparently Islamists have been trying to prosecute the up—and—coming Chief of Staff, Gen.
Buyukanit, in order to knock down the secular Turkish army. They have charged Buyukanit with not being a "pureblood" Turk, and having secret Jewish family members, called Sabbateans. Next, an Islamist prosecutor officially accused General Buyukanit with plotting to bomb a Kurdish bookstore. And last year Islamists managed to imprison the Rector of a secular university. The Islamic government is said to have purged thousands of secularists from the ministries.
Turkish newspapers see a crisis building.
James Lewis 4 11 06
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