Turkey’s ‘Islamists’ Remarkably Like Republicans
The Atlantic’s Robert Wright draws parallels between Turkey’s AKP political party and American Republican Party. Initially, Republicans were wary of the AKP, as some GOP leaders saw the AKP as “one more manifestation of the Islamic fundamentalism.” But Wright notes that both groups advocate banning abortion and believe that “the educational system should be more amenable to expressions of religiosity in the classroom.” According to Wright, the AKP and Republicans both rest “on two seemingly paradoxical pillars: the affluent commercial class and lower-income, religiously conservative voters.”