– TURKEY

 

TURKEY on the Western edge of Asia has a population of about 73 millions people (11/2007), stretches on 779,452 km. TURKEY is one of three countries in the world that extend on two continents Europe and Asia and on two seas, the Black Sea on the Northern shores and the Mediterranean on the Southern shores of TURKEY. TURKEY also rules a third sea – Sea of Marmara.

Due to persecutions, deportation and annihilation of the Armenians in the beginning of World War I and the replacement of population with Greece in 1923, almost all the Turks are Muslims.  75% of TURKEY’s population is Sunnite and 24% is Shiite.

Due to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (died on 11/10/1938) TURKEY is the only Muslim country in the world that aspires to adopt the European model and to become a part of the Western Democracies. Despite being the ruler of all the Middle East prior to World War I – the direction of TURKEY is toward Europe and the West.  TURKEY is also one of very few Islamic countries that Islam has no judicial status. TURKEY, the country of contradictions, is also the only Democratic country in the world that the Army has not only the traditional function of protecting the country but also the official role of protecting the constitution even against a democratic majority who might wish to change it.

There are very few countries in the World in strategic position like TURKEY. Politically TURKEY is the ultimate bridge between West and East, between Europe and the Islamic World. Physically TURKEY controls the Bosporus strait and the military and commercial marin traffic from South East Europe to the Mediterranean and has a huge influence of the Russian capacity in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

In TURKEY political violence is very common between adversary movements and parties. TURKEY also suffers from ethnic Kurdish insurgency in the South East, on the borders with Iraq and Iran. Terror attacks are common in TURKEY and are not, necessarily, a part of the Global Jihad against the Jews and Crusaders (Christians).

Since the Turkish society is very self-confident the number of Turks who joins Al Qaeda is, relatively, very small.

 

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