This is a bit of worrisome news -- the still very powerful military leadership in Turkey has openly warned that country's Parliament about choosing an Islamic politician as the country's next President. It's problematic from a few standpoints, none of which has to do with Islam as a religion itself; although, admittedly, the fact the country is 98% Muslim is already bothering many Europeans, the vast majority of whom are moderately Christian and who worry what it'll mean when the country joins the EU and eventually subscribes to the Euro as well as the open-border rules under Schengen.
The thought an Islamic leader in Turkey would suddenly decide to bring back the fez and impose Sharia law is ridiculous -- the people in that country, not the military, would never stand for it. The military may have some reason to be concerned the strict secularism that has existed since 1923 is in threat but given how Islamic law works in nearby countries, such as neighbouring Syria, it's doubtful people have a taste for it.
The Treaty of Rome and its successor instruments which shaped the EU we know today deliberately sought to avoid the abuses in the many attempts to "revive" the Roman Empire, from Charlemagne to Hitler. At the very heart of the system is the insistence member states subscribe to the principles of democratic selection of their respective leaders, as well as the non-interference of the military. It is true the EU is top-heavy bureaucratically, but it'd be hard to imagine any country where a Parliament can be summarily dismissed or a government overthrown in a coup being invited to membership in the grouping. Until now.
It was trouble enough that Turkey was part of NATO while it was still under military dictatorship until only recently -- the early 1980s, and there was a coup in 1997 as well. But unlike some Muslim-majority countries where people fall for the deceptions of the fundamentalists after just one election cycle, the sense of some kind of freedom is well entrenched in Asia Minor.
There's no question the country has made significant progress on the human rights front, including becoming one of only a few Muslim-majority countries to abolish the death penalty. However, for some bizarre reason, the country's military is still a self-sustaining group and not under firm civilian control. Wherever this happens anywhere in the world, democracy is very fragile if there is democracy at all.
A country should have a well-equipped armed service to ensure its defence. The trade-off is non-interference in its internal affairs. Until this is well-established, Turkey should not be in the EU. The message should be sent that if the country is to join the privileged club democracy must prevail in all its forms. That includes ensuring generals keep their opinions to themselves -- or at least within government circles -- and not blown out in the wide open.
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