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http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/999891.shtml
Secularism threatened in Turkey after failed coup
Newspaper headline: Back to Islam
By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2016/8/11 19:53:39
7
A girl wears a headband with the name of Turkish President Erdogan during the gathering at Taksim Square to protest the failed military coup attempt in Istanbul on August 5. Photo: IC
Rolling purge after a failed coup have worsened Turkey's relations with the neighboring European allies and the US, with 75,000 people detained or dismissed for investigation, accused of links to US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.
Analysts say that Turkey is moving away from secularism and toward a stronger role for Islam in politics.
Turkey, founded as an explicitly secular state and later adopting Western democracy in post-war elections, has been dominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by the conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the last 15 years.
"Erdogan has been eyeing a compromise between secularism and Islamism, but undoubtedly, the compromise favors the Islamic vision," Cui Shoujun, a researcher from the National Academy of Development and Strategy at the Renmin University of China told the Global Times.
Ethnic reconciliation
The purged groups, including the judiciary, academics and army, are advocates of secularism, a vision that the "father of modern Turkey," Kemal Mustapha Atatürk pursued, Yin Gang, a deputy researcher at the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times.
Gulen was a long-term ally of Erdogan until 2012, when the two split. He has lived in the US since 1999. Turkey has frequently asked the US to extradite him since the coup, sending evidence to Washington that purports to show his involvement in the coup, which he denies.
"The blame placed on Gulen, who represents another faction of Islam, is an internal conflict within Turkey," said Yin.
Followers of Gulen previously established hundreds of thousands of schools and universities throughout the country, aiming at attracting more educated people to an Islam often dismissed as the domain of the rural and the ignorant.
Erdogan is an open Islamist, an attitude proven by the hijab his wife, Emine Erdogan, always wears in public, said Li Shaoxian, the associate dean from China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
While, based on Islam, AKP calls for the interests of Turks within the realms once held by Ottoman Empire, Yin said. "Islam is only a tool. Actually, Erdogan is fighting for ethnic reconciliation among Turks that covers the region spanning the Arab world to Central Asia, a move feared by his neighbors." He said religion is just a tool for many ethnic issues.
Imminent threat
One day after the highly-symbolic visit to Russia, Turkey's rhetoric toward Europe was aggressive, blaming the EU for making some serious mistakes over the failed coup and warning of a halt of accession talks.
"Support for EU membership used to be around 50 percent of the population, I assume it is around 20 percent now," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had his first meeting with Erdogan since the drowned fighter row, seeking to amend ties after the formal apology from the Turkish strongman.
Cui said Turkey is looking for long-term benefits from the warming relations with Russia, the close geographic neighbor with Turkey, despite clashes over Syria.
The West has expressed mounting concerns that the coup repercussions could bring a collapse over the migrant deal sealed in March, especially given Erdogan and his supporters call for a resumption of death penalty across Turkey.
"Europe stands on a very passive position over the migrant crisis. Turkey would not be obedient to cooperation with Europe otherwise, it might bring trouble to the continent in a way to release numerous migrants," Yin told the Global Times.
He said that Turkey is ready to use the prospect of pushing migrants onto Europe as a weapon. "That is the trump card Turkey holds tight to."
But Cui argued that Erdogan has also gained support from the migrant influx. "Syrian refuges could eventually gain a Turkish citizenship in Turkey, many of those are members of elite and middle class with competitive language capacity and working ability, a move likely serves Erdogan politically," Cui said.
Turkey's eagerness to join the EU has not subsided even after huge criticism from Europe. "All those unfavorable judgments from the EU are verbal statement without factual influence. The failed coup is a home affair but the migrant crisis is an imminent threat," he said.
But whether the EU will acquiesce to a recent demand from Turkey that allows its citizens into Europe without visas remains unknown, and entrance to the bloc is a far-off prospect.
Li claimed that the EU cannot bear over 70 million Muslims freely passing through the bloc. "Turkey is a Muslim country. How does the EU take it? The bloc is in a defensive posture given the EU itself is undergoing huge security threats and religious instability, as well as the sluggish economy," he explained. "Turkey cannot join the EU. If it does, it will take time."
The modern secular state of Turkey has been Westernized through high pressure, Li said, adding that the route back to Islam is easy.
Concerns over the aftermath of the failed coup could possibly affect the long-standing positive relations between China and Turkey. But experts dismissed that, saying Erdogan has evaluated the economic potential from working with the Chinese side, despite some tension over Turkish links to the Uyghur in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Ge Sijia contributed to this story
Secularism threatened in Turkey after failed coup
Newspaper headline: Back to Islam
By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2016/8/11 19:53:39
7
A girl wears a headband with the name of Turkish President Erdogan during the gathering at Taksim Square to protest the failed military coup attempt in Istanbul on August 5. Photo: IC
Rolling purge after a failed coup have worsened Turkey's relations with the neighboring European allies and the US, with 75,000 people detained or dismissed for investigation, accused of links to US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.
Analysts say that Turkey is moving away from secularism and toward a stronger role for Islam in politics.
Turkey, founded as an explicitly secular state and later adopting Western democracy in post-war elections, has been dominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by the conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the last 15 years.
"Erdogan has been eyeing a compromise between secularism and Islamism, but undoubtedly, the compromise favors the Islamic vision," Cui Shoujun, a researcher from the National Academy of Development and Strategy at the Renmin University of China told the Global Times.
Ethnic reconciliation
The purged groups, including the judiciary, academics and army, are advocates of secularism, a vision that the "father of modern Turkey," Kemal Mustapha Atatürk pursued, Yin Gang, a deputy researcher at the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times.
Gulen was a long-term ally of Erdogan until 2012, when the two split. He has lived in the US since 1999. Turkey has frequently asked the US to extradite him since the coup, sending evidence to Washington that purports to show his involvement in the coup, which he denies.
"The blame placed on Gulen, who represents another faction of Islam, is an internal conflict within Turkey," said Yin.
Followers of Gulen previously established hundreds of thousands of schools and universities throughout the country, aiming at attracting more educated people to an Islam often dismissed as the domain of the rural and the ignorant.
Erdogan is an open Islamist, an attitude proven by the hijab his wife, Emine Erdogan, always wears in public, said Li Shaoxian, the associate dean from China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
While, based on Islam, AKP calls for the interests of Turks within the realms once held by Ottoman Empire, Yin said. "Islam is only a tool. Actually, Erdogan is fighting for ethnic reconciliation among Turks that covers the region spanning the Arab world to Central Asia, a move feared by his neighbors." He said religion is just a tool for many ethnic issues.
Imminent threat
One day after the highly-symbolic visit to Russia, Turkey's rhetoric toward Europe was aggressive, blaming the EU for making some serious mistakes over the failed coup and warning of a halt of accession talks.
"Support for EU membership used to be around 50 percent of the population, I assume it is around 20 percent now," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had his first meeting with Erdogan since the drowned fighter row, seeking to amend ties after the formal apology from the Turkish strongman.
Cui said Turkey is looking for long-term benefits from the warming relations with Russia, the close geographic neighbor with Turkey, despite clashes over Syria.
The West has expressed mounting concerns that the coup repercussions could bring a collapse over the migrant deal sealed in March, especially given Erdogan and his supporters call for a resumption of death penalty across Turkey.
"Europe stands on a very passive position over the migrant crisis. Turkey would not be obedient to cooperation with Europe otherwise, it might bring trouble to the continent in a way to release numerous migrants," Yin told the Global Times.
He said that Turkey is ready to use the prospect of pushing migrants onto Europe as a weapon. "That is the trump card Turkey holds tight to."
But Cui argued that Erdogan has also gained support from the migrant influx. "Syrian refuges could eventually gain a Turkish citizenship in Turkey, many of those are members of elite and middle class with competitive language capacity and working ability, a move likely serves Erdogan politically," Cui said.
Turkey's eagerness to join the EU has not subsided even after huge criticism from Europe. "All those unfavorable judgments from the EU are verbal statement without factual influence. The failed coup is a home affair but the migrant crisis is an imminent threat," he said.
But whether the EU will acquiesce to a recent demand from Turkey that allows its citizens into Europe without visas remains unknown, and entrance to the bloc is a far-off prospect.
Li claimed that the EU cannot bear over 70 million Muslims freely passing through the bloc. "Turkey is a Muslim country. How does the EU take it? The bloc is in a defensive posture given the EU itself is undergoing huge security threats and religious instability, as well as the sluggish economy," he explained. "Turkey cannot join the EU. If it does, it will take time."
The modern secular state of Turkey has been Westernized through high pressure, Li said, adding that the route back to Islam is easy.
Concerns over the aftermath of the failed coup could possibly affect the long-standing positive relations between China and Turkey. But experts dismissed that, saying Erdogan has evaluated the economic potential from working with the Chinese side, despite some tension over Turkish links to the Uyghur in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Ge Sijia contributed to this story
just another step. nothing new to report other then the PRC recognizing what has been happening for years, 
got to love that i guess.
