(February 11, 2011 at 7:07 pm)Chuck Wrote: (February 11, 2011 at 5:01 pm)muhtesem insan Wrote: (February 11, 2011 at 1:55 pm)Chuck Wrote: (February 11, 2011 at 12:47 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Trusting the military is almost always a mistake.
Were it not for the secular military, Turkey today would be like Algeria.
that's not true. Islamism is stronger thanks to "secular military"
Let's not forget who set the secular base line here. Current mild resurgence of "Islamism" in Turkey may seem like a reaction to military domination, but it was the military who set the base line of secularism in Turkey against which the resurgence is even noticed. Were it not for the military, the baseline in modern Turkey would not have been such a secular society. Instead it would have been a much more backward and Islamic country to start with.
No one set the secular base line. Turkish modernisation dates back to 18th century. It started with limited military and organisational reforms and real transformation started with
Tanzimat. It created a group of modern thinking intellectuals in Turkey. After Anatolian revolution Mustafa Kemal fastened this modernisation process. It continued till end of 40's, after -US supported- democratic party elected more islamic elements of the country started to stenghten again. After a relatively democratic constution created after 1960 coup. Communism started to become popular. For an ally of USA which borders with USSR it was unacceptable. After a -US led- coup in 1971 both islamism and nationalism is supported aginst internationalist and infidel communists. But it wasn't enough and another -US led- coup made in 1980 and made turkey a true fascist state. After this coup made by "secular military" religious studies become a required course (by constution) for all primary (after 4th grade), middle and high schools, anti-evolution thought promoted by education department, religous schools opened everywhere as an alternative to secular schools...etc. Military is the main force of islamisation of Turkey.
