Monday, September 19, 2011

Is Turkey the best model for Arab democracy?



Despite the country's remarkable progress, Turkey has yet to solve the 'Kurdish problem' and allow press freedom.

A VERY GOOD PIECE


Mark LeVine
Al-Jazeera

"Judging by the hero's welcome given to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his just-completed tour of the Arab world, it's not surprising that, once again, Turkey is being held up as "the best model for change" across the region.

Those boosting Turkey's standing include not merely Erdogan and the country's increasingly bold leadership, but equally political commentators across the Arab world (and indeed, around the globe), and millions of Arabs hoping to establish truly democratic societies in the wake of the Arab revolutions.

There is no doubt that the Turkey of 2011 is a remarkable success story in many areas, particularly compared with the political, economic and cultural state of the country less than a generation ago.

But is the country really a model for Arab pro-democracy revolutionaries to look to, as they struggle to establish democratic political systems in the ashes of decades of dictatorship, amid political and economic marginalisation? Let's look at the record.

Democracy - less than meets the eye.....

Media and press freedoms still restricted....

The Kurdish problem, Turkey's Palestine question.....

Human rights still a broad concern.....

An economic miracle that is hard to share.....

Religion and the hope for democracy.....

Aiming high is the best hope....

As with the rest of the Arab revolutionary awakening, it seems that Arab societies will have to find their own models, each suited to the unique situation of the region's 22 countries. Turkey is indeed an inspiring story on many fronts, but for the sake of the millions of people who have risked so much to topple the region's despots, the emerging leaders need to aim higher still."

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