Turkey as a model for the Arab World

As opposed to Western politicians Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has supported the protests in Egypt since day one. His AKP party can serve as a model for democratising Arab countries, writes the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: "The party came forward in 2002 as heir to an Islamist movement, and on their way to power its leaders have become more pragmatic and left fundamentalism well behind them. ... The party has made Turkey an EU accession candidate and has become an enthusiastic proponent of globalisation. The success of the AKP pushed the Islamists in Turkey under the three percent mark in the last elections. This example shows the West that Islamic movements can evolve. And it shows religious forces in the Arab World that democracy and economic liberalisation do not lead to chaos and a loss of values, but to success and progress."

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