Lessons in history
The Montreal Gazette has a good article (via Groong) about the book “From Empire to Republic” by Turkish scholar Dr. Akcam. Dr. Akcam stresses the important to Turkey of coming to terms with its past, but also makes the point that Turkey is approaching a ’second crucial stage’ in its nation-building process.
Akcam contends the collapse of the Soviet Union and the U.S. invasion of Iraq have reawakened the Eastern Question, the redrawing of the political map of the Middle East at the expense of the Ottoman Empire and now the Turkish Republic.
Equally dangerous, Akcam argues, is the reawakening of revanchist ideas among Turkey’s military-bureaucratic elites. Coupled together, these tendencies could lead to another calamity, he warns.
Topically, Bush called Turkey a good example for the Muslim world.
