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Another Enigma: Why The Religious Trend In Turkey?

Reader comment on item: The Erdoğan Enigma

Submitted by Dave (United States), Apr 22, 2017 at 14:56

While Erdogan may be puzzling in many ways, he seems to be riding a wave of religious reaction in traditionally secular Turkey. Past Pew polls on Turkish attitudes show far less affinity for Sharia than in most Muslim countries, but despite people realizing that Erdogan is an Islamist, he's still popular. When he and the AKP first rose to political prominence, it was reported that economic prosperity was the real motivator for the voters, but since then economic conditions have worsened, and yet Erdogan and the AKP keep on rolling. It would appear that demographic changes are responsible, but the Kurds, a people who live in humble circumstances and have an even higher birth rate, are becoming less Islamist and more pro-Western.

It's always possible that Erdogan's use of nationalism and repression are making Turkey look more Islamist than it is, or his demagoguery is actually changing social attitudes.

Whatever the reason, Turkey is running backwards fast and that's alarming.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (15) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Erdogan, just a criminal [95 words]CaraxMay 10, 2017 14:40239023
Erdogan is there to stay [187 words]Nazim CairoApr 23, 2017 20:26238750
1Erdogan isn't too mysterious. Kushner is. [323 words]Michael SApr 22, 2017 17:23238719
Another Enigma: Why The Religious Trend In Turkey? [160 words]DaveApr 22, 2017 14:56238711
2Manipulation [498 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Hakan ErdemirApr 21, 2017 19:04238669
Posturing for Things to Come... [147 words]M ToveyApr 24, 2017 11:00238669
A better option for NATO than an Islamic Turkey [505 words]Saul SteinApr 21, 2017 14:07238660
Theocracies do not belong to any organization of nations [107 words]PrashantApr 22, 2017 07:59238660
The possible future of NATO [166 words]Michael SApr 27, 2017 02:53238660
Old NATO vs New NATO - Talking Turkey [228 words]M ToveyMay 3, 2017 14:17238660
1Let's Call It What It Is! [23 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Barry BlackApr 21, 2017 12:47238658
Study Erdogan Speeches Against Females [40 words]DENNIS ALLEN DURKOPApr 21, 2017 12:43238657
1Mystery #3: Gulen - SOLVED - False Flag coup d'etat operation used to eliminate the opposition within Turkey [225 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Eric BermanApr 21, 2017 12:41238655
1Erdogan does not perceive that price is too high for two reasons [74 words]Eric BermanApr 22, 2017 10:08238655
1Any NATO Country Leader who Derides the West as "Crusaders" In Speeches is a Suspected Islamist [83 words]GWKApr 21, 2017 11:25238652

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