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Is it Islamist to reject the Iraqi war?

Reader comment on item: Turkey's Radical Turn?

Submitted by Pseudoerasmus (United States), Aug 5, 2003 at 23:36

I supported the war in Iraq, but I have never understood why proponents of the war have been so unfair with (some of) the opponents. Why should Turkey's parliamentary rejection of the US war in Iraq be counted as evidence that the AKP may be bona fide Islamists? After all, not even the Turkish army, which no one suspects of being pro-Islamist, was particularly sanguine about the war in Iraq. The rigidly secular Turkish left also opposed the US war in Iraq -- for precisely the same reason the left in all countries opposed the US war. But forget ideology. Turkey has a more genuine strategic interest in what happens in Iraq than most other countries (and certainly more than the USA). Not only does the Turkish economy will feel the effects of the war (as it did during Gulf War I), but also the fall of Saddam Hussein may open up the possibility of reigniting Kurdish irredentism in southeastern Anatolia. So Turkish reluctance can be interpreted on ordinary, even trite, national interest grounds.

Of course, the Turks are perhaps lucky to be denigrated merely as incipient Bin-Ladenists. At least they were spared the wave of hysterical and know-nothing francophobia the French were meted out in the USA, all for simply disagreeing with the USA (and the French opposed the war presumably for non-religious reasons).
Submitting....

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Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Question [141 words]Bige VonaFeb 14, 2006 01:4735507
Turkey and the EU [339 words]Alex CurrieMar 17, 2004 08:1314236
How islamic is islamic [337 words]Jonathan LambAug 14, 2003 11:4610576
Do we mean what we say? [85 words]Zev SternAug 13, 2003 20:0110568
hope to hear content of the new laws next offering [21 words]William KinneyAug 10, 2003 23:1710501
Mind your own business [144 words]AmericanAug 10, 2003 21:5810499
caution is suggested [35 words]fenixAug 8, 2003 10:3510480
Forewarning of What's to Come? [228 words]Ruth LowryAug 6, 2003 22:2010467
Turkey Boost/Baste? [25 words]John PalubiskiAug 6, 2003 10:2610460
Beyond the Pale [96 words]Brad ReedAug 6, 2003 10:0310459
So goes Turkey [218 words]Glenn KlotzAug 6, 2003 09:5710458
A self-defeating move? [175 words]Joshua TruaxAug 6, 2003 02:2210457
Is it Islamist to reject the Iraqi war? [224 words]PseudoerasmusAug 5, 2003 23:3610455
Two questions [76 words]Randy McDonaldAug 5, 2003 17:5610453
How popular is AKP? [265 words]J. Keen HollandAug 5, 2003 16:1710452
Islam vs. Moderation [167 words]Arlinda DeAngelisAug 5, 2003 16:0910451
FRIEND OR FOE? The stakes are huge. Stay tuned. [84 words]GRAHAM RAEL-BROOKAug 5, 2003 13:5910449

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