Anti-Westernism in Turkey: Why do they hate the West?

Monday , 12 May 2008

By Ihsan DAGI

Anti-Westernism used to be a distinguishing feature of the Islamic political identity. Now it is the mark of the Kemalist-secularist stance. The renewed demand of the West, particularly the EU, for democracy and the rule of law has highlighted sharp differences between the vision of a Turkey Europeanized as a natural outcome of the EU integration process and the Turkey visualized by Kemalist-secularist circles. They seem irreconcilable.

The challenge of the West for the Kemalists is clear: In the EU integration process it is impossible to preserve the old order. The West and the continuing Westernization that comes with the EU accession process ................


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