Extra points that did not fit my main article today, "Islamist Turkey Overreaches."
(1) The sex scandal that forced opposition leader Deniz Baykal to resign as head of the Republican People's Party (CHP) a month ago could potentially be the turning point whereby Turkey's secular forces find their voice and develop a compelling program. Baykal's successor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is the key person to watch.
(2) Ahmet Davutoğlu has made some astonishing statements about the flotilla confrontation, including an allusion to invoking Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty: "Citizens of member states were attacked by a country that was not a member of NATO. We think that should be discussed in NATO."
(3) Adnan Oktar (who goes by the pen-name Harun Yahya) mailed out a statement today that also disapproves of the flotilla maneuver:
Israel should be allowed to search the boats and that Israel had a natural right to do that. What should have been done was to inform Israel of the cargo, permit them to examine the boats if they wished and then to distribute the humanitarian aid being carried to the people in need in Gaza together.
