Sunday, October 16, 2011

Ottomatic?

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu!

 N"ork City Great Satan fans feature a kindred spirit getting all Turkolicious:
"While diplomats and generals too often ascribe tensions between Turkey and the West to a reaction to the Iraq War, disappointment with the slow pace of the European Union–accession process, or anger at the death of nine Turks killed in a clash with Israeli forces aboard the blockade-challenging Mavi Marmara, in reality, Turkey’s break from the West was the result of a deliberate and steady strategy initiated by Erdogan upon assuming the reins of government."

Whoa! Attaturk!

Since the decline and fall of the Sick Man of Europa in the last millennium, modern Turkey made an effort to get all secular - loosening the press, easing up on girls, fun, free choice and free inquiry. Led by rowdy intellectuals, Army cats and students that rejected autocrazy and were all hot to hang with a constitutional representative style gov, the Young Turks wiped clean and drew again an entire nation state in toto less than a century ago. 


Compare with this not too sooo last year friendly hello about the near future of something something 'neo - ottomanism' Fo Po
"There are clear differences between Kemalism and neo-Ottomanism in these three main aspects of strategic culture. Where neo-Ottomanism favors an ambitious regional policy in the Middle East and beyond, Kemalism opts for modesty and caution. Where one favors multiculturalism and liberal secularism, the other prefers strict measures against headscarves and Kurdish ethnic identity. Where one is increasingly resentful of the EU and the United States, the other is actively pursuing EU membership and good relations with Washington."

Pic - "Turkey Risks Confrontation With Iran Over NATO Missile Shield"

1 comments:

Mike Feld said...

Thanks for the link to Michael Rubin's excellent article which outlines Turkey's journey from Kemalism to Neo-Ottomanism.