THE TURKEY CALLED TURKEY – AT 7:43 P.M. ET:  One of the great foreign policy disappointments since Obama took office is the estrangement from Turkey, the Muslim nation that has usually been closest to the West.  It isn't Obama's fault.

Turkey is a member of NATO, and fought beside us in the Korean War.  But early in this decade the nation elected a pro-Islamist government, reversing decades of progress toward political secularism.  European nations, including those in NATO, have been distancing themselves from Turkey, and now relations with the U.S. are strained.  This is another case where Islamism is destroying the Muslim relationship with the rest of the world.  From The Jerusalem Post:

WASHINGTON – Turkish media reports have exposed increased tensions between the US and Turkey in recent days, with disagreements flaring over the Gaza flotilla incident and efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear program.

Earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan bashed the US for not taking more action following the death of a Turkish-American dual citizen in Israel’s raid on a Turkish-flagged ship attempting to break the blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Erdogan is at the heart of the problem for, at heart, he doesn't really believe in the Turkish secular tradition. 

"It is significant that the US administration has not taken action regarding Furkan Dogan. We expect them to follow this case,” Erdogan was quoted as saying. “Are you not defending Furkan’s rights because he was Turkish?” In response, US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey told the Turkish newspaper Zaman that the US was concerned about Dogan’s case but took umbrage at Erdogan’s remarks.

"If the press report is true, we – the United States and I – personally find it deeply disappointing and worrying,” he was quoted as saying.

He went on to chide Turkey for not being more helpful with the investigation, and providing the autopsy results on the deaths to the Turkish group IHH, which participated in the flotilla, but not to the United States, according to media accounts.

IHH has a history of support for terrorism.

“We requested it from the Turkish authorities many times, most recently on July 7,” he reportedly said. “We find it difficult to understand why we can’t have the autopsy report despite our requests while IHH already has been given it.”

A State Department official said Thursday that Turkey had subsequently provided the autopsy reports.

I'm glad the U.S. ambassador stood up for his country, instead of doing the grovel dance we've come to expect from the Obama administration. 

Turkey is becoming a tragedy.  Its tradition balancing Islam with secular values, and enforced by a pro-democracy military, was enormously beneficial to the Turkish population.  Now Turkey is disappearing behind the Muslim curtain (or veil), and it would seem only a matter of time before it is separated from NATO. 

We hope for a change for the better.  It will only occur if Turkey gets the message that its hostility is hurting only Turkey.

July 15, 2010