Rise of Islam in Turkey: Opportunity or Obstruction for the West

摘要

As a predominantly Muslim nation with a democratic tradition and government, Turkey has become the figurative bridge between the democratic West and the Islamic East. Turkey has a unique history, with both an Islamic past and a secular and democratic present. In 2001, the Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (AKP), a party with Islamist roots, took power and since that time a political shift has been taking place. Changes in Turkey's domestic and foreign policy have led many observers and analysts to assert Turkey is moving away from secularism towards becoming an Islamist state. Turkey continues to be the bridge between the East and West but has started to remodel the bridge based on its new vision as a good neighbor to East and West alike. Leveraging Turkey's external relations could be extraordinarily beneficial to Western nations seeking peace and security in the volatile Middle East. Therefore, so long as Turkey's current Islamic revival does not end its status as a democratic, moderate state that is positively engaged with the West, the United States and other Western nations should seek to strengthen and expand ties with this key strategic partner.