In an apparently ongoing campaign to distort the current situation in Turkey, the Sept. 4 editorial “Fighting the wrong foe in Turkey” conveys such a highly contradictory argument that the point of the piece is altogether lost.
On one hand, the editorial applauds and commends Turkey’s parliament for passing a bill to extend compulsory education from five to eight years. Indeed, this measure enjoys the support of the vast majority of the Turkish people. In view of this and given that Turkey is a Muslim country, it is impossible to understand how the editorial could conclude, on the other hand, that the bill reflects a “crusade to root out Islamic customs and influence.”
In no way does the bill stipulate any article that might hinder Turkey’s Muslim society from exercising its Islamic traditions. It is also important to note that such traditions flourish in a country that is committed to its secularism and tied to its Western orientation. Turkey, after all, is the only secular democracy among the world’s 52 Muslim nations.
Moreover, the editorial concludes that the current government should focus on “attacking economic and social problems.” What better way to do that than by the indispensable task of concentrating on thoroughly educating the next generation?
