Turkey

Turkey on the Brink

Turkey is one of the most strategic nations in the world, sitting at the crossroads of the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. Unfortunately, over the past decade, this longtime ally has come under the sway of Islamists deeply hostile to America and the West, more generally. Throughout that period, two strands of shariah-adherent Islam have cooperated to crush the secular, democratic opposition and Turkey’s pro-American military. Now, however, those loyal to Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan and followers of a cult-leader named Fethullah Gulen are at each others’ throats – and the future direction of Turkey hangs in the balance. The best we can hope for is the secularists emerge on top from the Islamists’ death struggle, and that Turkey becomes once again an ally in the War for the Free World.

Erdogan is No Friend

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.
President Obama hosts this week a man he has described as one of his closest friends among foreign leaders. That's troubling since Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan is a man who is no friend of America by any reasonable definition.
Perhaps, Erdogan is so admired because he has achieved in Turkey what Mr. Obama might call "the fundamental transformation" of his country.  In fact, under Erdogan, Turkey has ceased to be the secular Muslim nation it was for over seventy years.  It is, instead, an increasingly  Islamicized state - repressing its own people and hostile to Israel and our interests in its region, and beyond.
This visit is an opportunity to express our disapproval of these trends.  Unfortunately, Mr. Obama will likely instead encourage his friend to think America approves of them.
This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.  Learn more at SecureFreedom.org.

Farewell to Turkey