December 9th, 2009 by Jason

Ben Katcher at the Washington Note provides an overview of Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit to Washington. Among other developments, Erdogan implied Turkey will continue to reform regardless of European “obstacles” to E.U. accession.  

However, Michael Rubin at NRO criticizes President Obama for praising Erdogan despite Turkey’s recent backtracking on human rights, especially in its “war on the free press.” He cites a recent resolution passed by the World Association of Newspapers that “calls on the Turkish authorities to cease the campaign of intimidation of journalists and media.” Babylon and Beyond delves into greater detail about the clash between the Turkish government and the media mogul Dogan Yayin Holding, who has criticized the ruling AKP party. Jennifer Rubin at Commentary echoes Michael Rubin’s concerns, arguing “Obama doesn’t really have anything to say in support of human rights and democracy advocates.”

Marc Lynch observes that the Islamist government of Erdogan is a “model of workable political Islam,” but one that is “dual-edged” as Turkish secularists  “continue to sound the alarm bells of creeping Islamism.” Lynch finds concerns over Turkey’s newly assertive foreign policy “overblown,” arguing it was as much a result of “the effective closing of the door to European Union membership as it was by Erdogan’s Islamism.”  

Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform, Secularism, Turkey, US foreign policy, US politics |