The Turkish General Staff (the real rulers of Turkey) are staunch allies of NATO, but evidence points to them are losing their grip on the Turkish people.
A few years ago the Islamist Welfare Party had the largest number of seats in the Turkish parliament when it was shut down, and its leader, Necmettin Erbakan, was a former prime minister. These parties have gone underground to hide their activities from the military.
Muslims Demonstrate in Asia, Turkey
HYDERABAD, India (AP) - Muslim anger against the United States and the airstrikes in Afghanistan flared in violence and protests across Asia and in Turkey following Friday prayers.
Police in Istanbul, Turkey, also fired tear gas to disperse 2,000 anti-U.S. protesters who gathered at a square after prayers chanting ``Down with America'' and ``We will strike at the hand that reaches Afghanistan.''
Pericles, you're not getting Smyrna back. ;)
Eternal God and creator of all things, and thou O Mahomet his sacred and divine prophet. We beseech thee let us not dread the Christians, who are so mean and silly to rely on a crucified god.
By the power of thy right hand, so strengthen ours that we may surround this foolish people, on every side, and utterly destroy them.
At length fulfill our prayers and put these miscreants into our hands, that we may establish thy throne for ever in Mecca, and sacrifice all those enemies of our most holy religion at thy tomb.
Blow us with thy mighty breath like swarms of flies into their quarters, and let the eyes of these infidels bedazelled with the lustre of our moon. Consume them with thy fiery darts, and blind them with the dust which they themselves have raised. Destroy them all in thine anger.
Break all their bones in pieces, and consume the flesh and blood of those who defile thy sacrifice, and hang the sacred light of circumcision on their cross.
Wash them with showers of many waters, who are so stupid to worship gods they know not: and make their Christ a son to that God who ne're begot him.
Hasten therefore their destruction we humbly entreat thee, and blot out their name and religion, which they glory so much in, from off the face of the earth, that they may be no more, who condemn and mock at thy law.
Amen.
Turkey's Islamists are irrelevant.
Even more empty bluster and posturing than your average Muslim country.
Ataturk made sure of that after World War I.
Why do those clowns get any press mention is beyond me.