Posted on 05/26/2011 7:20:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
"Now what he needs is shock therapy to gain the heart of his people," Mr. Davutoglu said in an interview as he campaigned in his hometown, Konya, for a Parliament seat in next month's elections. "As early as possible."
Asked what would happen if Mr. Assad failed to bring dramatic reform, Mr. Davutoglu replied, "We don't know. That's why we say shock therapy."
Turkey has emerged in just a few short years as the most dynamic country in the region, with newfound political influence and a booming economic stake in the Middle East. But it faces a growing challenge in navigating the tumult of the Arab Spring.
Though Turkey's ties with Egypt were never that warm, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on President Hosni Mubarak to resign even as American officials were still contemplating a more gradual departure. Mr. Erdogan's declaration was aired in a cheering Tahrir Square, bolstering his reputation as, in the words of a Turkish analyst, "the darling of the Arab street." After trying, and failing, to negotiate a cease-fire, Mr. Erdogan belatedly demanded that Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi step down this month, and Turkish officials have since engaged the Libyan opposition in a country where, until recently, it had at least $15 billion in investments that helped provide work to 25,000 Turks there.
In an interview this week, Mr. Erdogan was blunt in saying that Syria was a different case.
"The situation in Syria is the equivalent of internal politics for Turkey," he said, calling Turkey "quite concerned and annoyed" by events there.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It’s a simple twist of caliphate.
Is Turkey still a safe destination for American tourists?
Depends on how they want to spend their vacation.
The daughter of an old friend on this forum just returned from a trip to Turkey. Here’s what he wrote about her trip:
Just got a call from my daughter, returned from her business trip to Istanbul.
She fell in love with the city and its people. She liked Bangkok and enjoyed Singapore...but Istanbul swept her away.
The food was fabulous...the kabobs were uniformly exquisite, she developed a taste for eggplant, the mezza(?) was a big treat, the availability of fresh street-grilled fish was a delight, a breakfast of heavy cream and fresh bread and honey was more than satisfying.
She was almost incapable of accurately learning and expressing the most common Turkish phrases...but could get by with English in every circumstance.
In a city that is 95% Muslim, she was surprised by how friendly the people were — the folks who, upon seeing her take a picture of her husband, volunteered to take a picture of them together. The folks who, upon observing a moment of apparent confusion, would volunteer to direct them where they wanted to go. She negotiated for and bought a leather jacket...and learned that, once the deal is done, one is expected to sit and share another cup of tea — confirming that the meeting was not about the sale, but about a personal relationship.
Which is to say, she was charmed by the culture, as well.
They saw the Hagia Sofia and Topkapi...visited the Asian side...and walked throughout the city. And were captivated. They’ll be returning to visit again.
Big hit!!!
Thank you! Wish other Muslim countries would take note and learn.
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