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I've been wondering for some time whether this move against the military is actually an attempt by Erdoğan and the AKP to deal a major blow to the main prop of Kemalism; that is, to make a break from the ideology that has governed Turkey for around a century, and to establish Turkey as a major Islamist power in the Middle East, a less fervent focus for Islamism than the existing obscurantist Islamist regimes. I think that this is what's behind Erdoğan's involvement in the events in Syria. Whether the allegations against the military officers are true or not, whether it's a show trial or one dealing with a genuine plot (after all, the Turkish military has a history of staging coups) or a bit of both, isn't the important thing here. If this move against the military and the rise of an Islamist Turkey are successful, then I think that Turkey's position in the Middle East will be different, not only in respect of a more interventionist role in Syria and similar situations, but also in respect of dealing with the Kurdish question (a move away from the Kemalist inflexibility) and links with less fervent Islamist regimes in the region. Paul F ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
