The American Spectator

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Similarly, the Turkish government is often accused of interfering with academic freedom, particularly through its military-created Higher Education Council that keeps a close eye on what professors write and say, while the military's ban on headscarves keeps most women out of the universities. (Human Rights Watch argues that the state should neither require nor ban religious symbols or dress in universities.) The government counters that it only wants to protect women who choose not to wear the scarf, and in this way protects the public order, and that giving in on the headscarf ban will lead to more demands by religious parties until secularism is all but eliminated. It is hard to say who is right, but the overriding concern must be that Turkish women are able to make their own choice whether to wear the headscarf.

Eighty-two years have passed since Ataturk created the modern democratic Turkey. Mr. Straw and his supporters say that this is proof that Turkey is a legitimate European partner, one that respects democratic principles and "universal values." But it is only recently that religious fundamentalism and fanaticism of the Iranian, Jihadian, Talibanian variety have come into being and developed a popular and radical following. Many Muslims insist that Turkey is a traitor to Islam, one that has chosen wealth and power over religion. And Ataturk remains reviled by many fundamentalist Muslims who abhor the separation of church and state. Europe, for many Muslim fanatics, remains synonymous with Christianity, and is thus the breading ground for heresy. Indeed until the modern era, Muslims were strictly forbidden to visit Europe, and the ban was later lifted only as a way of acquiring military and technological secrets. So far the military has kept a lid on jihadism, but once the EU puts a muzzle on the army, all bets are off.

Meanwhile the French government is considering putting the Turkish question before the French voters in a referendum. Austria and the Netherlands may do the same. France is also floating the possibility of a third-way for Turkey, which would mean not quite full EU membership, something Ankara flatly rejects.

Throughout modern history Turkey has been given the unflattering epithet of the "sick man of Europe." Today much of Europe seems to think she is out of danger, if not well down the road to recovery. Some may want a second opinion.

topics:
Education, Religion, Islam, Law, Military, Iran, Israel, European Union, Fascism, Immigration