Summary
"We thank you for your commitment to democracy and freedom," President Bush said to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a White House meeting nearly five years ago. It represented congratulations to Mr. Erdogan for surviving a 10-month prison term he served over a speech he had given. In two weeks, Mr. Erdogan will likely announce his presidential candidacy. His election would mark a historic change: Mr. Erdogan would become Turkey's first Islamic president.
Whether that is a good or bad thing is a separate question. But the larger debate within the Turkish media focuses on one principle: If Turkey is really a democracy, it must accept an Erdogan presidency. So it's worth examining his commitment to democracy.See the full content of this document
Extract
Bad Blood in Turkey ; an Uneven Flow of Democracy
It's possible that Mr. Erdogan's understanding of democracy and freedoms is flexible adjusting to times that suit his interests. According to the State Department's 2006 report on human-rights practices in Turkey, "Prime Ministe...
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