As Turkey's pivotal election approaches on May 16, a large portion of the populace is protesting the islamicization of their country that will likely occur if Prime Minister Erdogan is elected President. This from al Babwa:
More than 200,000 Turks protested against Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday, demonstrating the intense opposition he could face from Turkey's secular establishment if he decides to run for president next month.
According to the AP, protesters called on the government to quit and chanted slogans including, "We don't want an imam as president."
Tens of thousands traveled from across the country overnight to attend the rally in downtown Ankara. Police cordoned off the meeting area - near the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Police on the scene estimated the crowd at more than 200,000.
Turkey's president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, said Friday that the threat Islamic fundamentalism posed to the country was higher than ever. "For the first time, the pillars of the secular republic are being openly questioned," Sezer said in an address to military officers.
The fact that Turkey's President Sezer made his remarks to military officers should be seen as ominous by those that would see Turkey bcome an islamic state. Turkey's military has a long history of coups, and one could well imagine another if the military perceives the secular republic established by Attaturk as under threat.
Update: Much more on this at Instapundit.
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