Nor do I. And he has, but I had counted that previously as a political play, like our candidates’ naked demagoguery, to placate parts of local and regional factions and stay firmly in power. In other words, a cynical move by a self-interested politician rather than a true Wahhabist.
I certainly hope he is not
You know, I have come to appreciate the self-interested politician who only wants to have the power. They tend to do what the people want because they do not have their own ideology for the way things ought to be. They want power, so if they have to do something the people want to keep it, they do it.
Oh he is very much for it. There is something fishy about this coup - how come the plotters didn’t understand that they have to get Erdogan first. Based on flight transponder data, his plane followed a prearranged flight path to Atarurk airport, very unusual for someone allegedly being targeted by plotters’ F16 fighters. Also, he landed unimpeded to an airport allegedly taken over by the plotters.
Even the EU bureaucrats noticed the massive proscription lists for the post coup purges that had to be prepared months in advance containing tens if not hundreds of thousands of names - not something you could do on a whim across all strata of society.
On a side note, Istanbul is a fascinating city - one of THE cities in the world. Has probably the best roof bar scene in the world in Galata and Beyoglu neighborhoods.
Walking around these trendy/artsy neighborhoods filled with amazing restaurants and clubs and teeming with Turkish hipsters with fedoras and wide rimmed glasses, female arts majors and aged musicians with dreadlocks, you get that special grim sadness feeling I’ve experienced also in Christian parts of Beirut - that they are on the wrong side of history and that they’re fucked.
Most of these male and female hipsters braved tear gas and riot police batons in a desperate attempt.to preserve Gezi Park - a symbol of urban, secular Istanbul from government bulldozers. They failed.
These days there aren’t yoga classes and DIY jewelry workshops in Gezi anymore - islamists have taken over and are holding pro Erdogan rallies.
Wow. Well, I completely missed that analysis. Thanks for some real world updates from someone traveled there.
I always wanted to go to Istanbul. Such a storied, historical city. I hope I get the chance before they fuck it up beyond all recognition and let the islamists ruin more world history.
Last time I’ve been there was two years ago - many changes for the worse recently - there is a massive influx of poor, religious peasants from central Anatolia in the last 20 years and they are leaving their mark on this formerly cosmopolitan city.
To think that just a few years ago hijab was illegal and that 20 years ago they had a female prime minister.
Unfortunately, things are following a depressingly familiar pattern - like in Iran, the urban liberals don’t stand a chance, the numbers are against them.
To quote Orhan Pamuk, Turkish writer and a Nobel laureate from a few years ago when answering an Euro politician’s statement that military rule would hold Turkey back - “yes, the military would bring us back 70 years. Better to turn back the clock 70 than 700 years as Erdogan intends”
Pre 9/11, it was a big target for me in my travels. I never could figure how to pull it off and it really sucks now, because seeing it now, with haze of terror and fear, it’s not going to be like it was. I fear going now, even if safe, the experience would be lacking.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the coup was an elaborate plan to usher in a new era of Sharia law.