TURKEY: GENERALS WARN OF THE GROWING ISLAMIST THREAT IN TURKEY

Turk PM offers olive branch in Islamist row: papers

ANKARA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has offered his secularist critics, including top army generals, wide-ranging talks over their fears of an alleged "Islamist threat" to Turkish democracy, newspapers said on Thursday.

The new head of Turkey's staunchly secularist General Staff, Yasar Buyukanit, and other generals have in recent days warned of growing Islamism and accused Erdogan's ruling AK Party of undermining the division between state and religion.

Their comments appear partly designed to discourage Erdogan, who himself has Islamist roots, from contesting the presidency in an election due next May. They fear Erdogan as president might try to dismantle strict curbs on religious expression.

"We must sort all this out by discussing it among ourselves, not before the public," the Hurriyet daily quoted the premier as telling journalists on Wednesday on a flight back to Turkey from London under the headline "Erdogan's olive branch plan."

Erdogan said public statements by politicians and military men only fanned social tensions and also upset the sensibilities of religious Turks who posed no threat to the country's order.

"We could discuss the issue perhaps in the National Security Council," Erdogan said, referring to the body grouping senior politicians and military officers that meets every two months.

Erdogan also said those who speak of an Islamist threat must provide concrete evidence for their claims.

The army, backed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and many university rectors, complain that the AK Party is promoting officials with Islamist views. They also resent the AK Party's efforts to relax curbs on religious vocational schools.

Erdogan, whose party has strong backing among Turkey's more conservative, religiously-minded voters, has denied the existence of any "Islamist threat." He said secularists should instead target genuine "extremism."

...

These warnings from the generals should not come as a surprise to anyone that has taken the time to read Tony Blankley's book titled The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations? in which he mentions a conversation with an old member of the Hapsburg family noticing Ataturk's coffin being turned around to have his head point toward Mecca versus his feet (as he was originally buried) or the countless other articles about how the islamization of Turkey becomes apparent when you look at women's dress...

It appears that the number of walking head to toe bags has increased significantly...


Pertinent Links:

1) Turk PM offers olive branch in Islamist row: papers