Turkey in the Balance

From: The 10-Point, Jan, 21, 2014

Gerard Baker

Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal

Turkey’s political future and the shape of political Islam in the country might come down to a clash between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a reclusive imam living in Pennsylvania. In comments made to the Journal, Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Mr. Erdogan who preaches a message of tolerance to millions of followers from his self-imposed exile in the Pocono Mountains, accused the Turkish leader of backtracking on reforms and hinted that his movement wants to see a challenge to Mr. Erdogan’s Islamist-leaning party. “Mr. Gulen’s statements confirm that this turf war has gone beyond the point of no return and we are looking at the battleground which could shape the next generation of Turkish politics,” said the chairman of an Istanbul-based think tank.