MOONLIGHT ON THE BOSPHORUS

 
Istanbul.  There was a full moon last night that turned the Bosphorus – the strait that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean upon which Istanbul resides – into a sheet of moonlight. 

It is a memorable sight, and I had time for a glimpse of it on my way to Central Asia.  So I only have a moment to provide a glimpse of what is happening here in Turkey.  For the history of what is now called Turkey, see Asia Minor (Part One) and Asia Minor (Part Two) from May 2007.

Turkey is now run by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by Recip Tayyip Erdogan (air-do-wan).  This is a very dangerous man.  He is a radical Islamist clothed in "Islamic moderation."  He is purging the Turkish military of officers devoted to the secularism of modern Turkey’s founder, Kemal Attaturk, and replacing them with Islamists.  His goal is to recreate the Ottoman Caliphate, where the ruler of Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) was recognized as the Caliph or ruler of all Moslems.

His strategy of achieving this is economic.  He wants Turkey to be an economic powerhouse.  Turkey is open for business and business is booming.  He has announced a goal of "no more enemies," of peace-making with all of Turkey’s neighbors with whom there have been centuries of enmity:  Greece, Russia, and Iran.  Plus peace with the Arab world, most especially Syria and Iraq.

All this would seem to the good.  Peace and prosperity – who can complain at that?

But Erdogan is merely replacing old enemies with new ones.  Prior to him, there was an alliance between Turkey and Israel.  Now, as an Israeli businessman who has done business here for 30 years told me, Turkey has become a dangerous place for Jews and its government has become rabidly anti-Semitic.

Anyone familiar with the history of Ottoman imperialism towards Europe will be alarmed by Erdogan’s strategy – for it necessarily includes a recreation of that Islamic anti-Western anti-Christian imposition of Sharia imperialism upon Europe.

And we all know how great wealth from oil has enabled the Saudis to spread their Wahhabi Sharia-ism all over the world and deep into America.  Erdogan intends the same for Turkey’s prosperity.

Turkey was once the model for a secular, moderate Moslem democracy.  No more.  Erdogan is holding a Constitutional Referendum on September 12, where a yes vote will enable him to constitutionally ignore decisions of Turkey’s Supreme Court that thwart his Islamism. 

Keep your eye on Turkey.  It is making peace with its neighbors – and enemies of us.