Former toast salesman and radical Muslim is a hit in Old Europe. From Turks.us, with thanks to Anthony:
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been chosen by the readership of a European weekly as the “European of the Year”.
Belgium’s European Voice announced the winner late Tuesday, November 30, at a black-tie dinner, saying Erdogan was singled out for his recent reforms introduced by his ruling party to pave the way for a seat in the expanding 25-nation European Parliament, the EU Observer website reported Wednesday, December 1.
The Turkish parliament adopted last month a far-reaching overhaul of the country’s 78-year-old penal code, clearing a major obstacle to accession talks with the euro-bloc….
Self-made Erdogan, former leader of the Islamic Justice and Development Party (AK), rose from selling toasted bread in the streets of Istanbul to the helm of the political party.
He graduated from a religious high school, then joined the Faculty of Commerce, Marmarah University.
During his early age, he joined the National Safety Party (NSP), led by veteran Islamic leader Necmettin Erbakan, in the early seventies.