Hirsi on Turkey

Secular and liberal Turks have had a rude awakening from years of deep slumber. Kemal Ataturk's heritage is about to be destroyed—not by an invading power, but from within by fellow Turks who yearn for an Islamic state ...

Turkish secular liberals must devise a plan to start their own grassroots movement, one with the message of individual freedom. They must restore the confidence of the electorate in trusting Turkey's economy to them, and they must re-conquer the institutions of education and information, police and justice.

They must also make EU leaders understand and respect the fact that the army and the court in Turkey—besides defending the country and the constitution—are also, and maybe even more importantly, designed to protect Turkish democracy from Islam ...

Other liberal democracies in the West must stand by Turkey's liberals in this difficult time. It is only a seeming paradox that support has to start by recognizing that the Turkish army is not like any other. The military has the unique task of safeguarding Turkey's secular character.

aug 07