Islamization of Turkey Alert from Euractiv.com, with thanks to Fjordman:
In short:
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association Tüsiad have accused the Erdogan government of lagging on reforms and paying too much attention to religious topics. The recent slide of the Turkish lira adds to Ankara’s worries.
Background:
Ömer Sabanci and Mustafa Koç, two leading businessmen representing industry association Tüsiad, expressed their disappointment about their governments’ recent performance during a meeting of the Tüsiad’s High Advisory Council on Friday 2 June.
Issues:
The Tüsiad chiefs called on the Erdogan government to refocus on the necessary reforms and use less political rhetoric on religious issues. The Turkish business elites fear that in view of new elections in 2007 (or early elections in 2006), the Erdogan government is trying to score with its pro-islamic constituencies and therefore “polarising” on issues related to secularism.