ISLAM, SECULARISM, & TURKISH POLITICS:  THE POLITICAL CONFLICT BETWEEN ISLAM & SECULARISM IN TURKEY -- WHICH OF THE TWO CONTENDING FORCES IS MORE DEMOCRATIC?  WHICH OF THE TWO IS MORE AUTOCRATIC?  IS THE POLITICAL REGIME OF TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, OR DOES IT CONSTITUTE THE INITIAL STEPS TOWARD ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ANTI-WESTERN, ISLAMIST DICTATORSHIP IN TURKEY?  ERDOGAN'S JUSTICE & DEVELOPMENT PARTY AS AN AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMIG APPARATUS LACKING A POLITICAL CULTURE SUPPORTIVE OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC IDEALS & PRACTICES

THE REBIRTH OF SECULAR GOVERNMENT & CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY: CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO ILLEGAL ACTIONS TAKEN BY PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN & HIS JUSTICE & DEVELOPMENT PARTY, A CASE TO BE DECIDED BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF TURKEY -- EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE CASE:   THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT WILL RULE THAT THE PRIME MINISTER & THE AKP VIOLATED THE PRINCIPLES OF A DEMOCRATIC & SECULAR REPUBLIC WHICH UNDERGIRD THE TURKISH CONSTITUTION -- THE HIGH COURT WILL DISSOLVE THE AKP & BAN ERDOGAN & HIS CLOSEST AIDES FROM HOLDING GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS

TURKEY'S JUDICIARY AS GUARDIAN OF THE TURKISH CONSTITUTION:  DECISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT PROTECTING TURKEY'S SECULAR & CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC AGAINST THE INROADS OF ISLAMISM & AUTHORITARIANISM -- UPHOLDING HUMAN RIGHTS & THE RULE OF LAW IN TURKEY & CURBING THE DICTATORIAL TENDENCIES OF PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN & THE ISLAMIC-ROOTED JUSTICE & DEVELOPMENT PARTY -- WHY ERDOGAN & THE AKP SHOULD HAVE NEITHER AMERICAN NOR EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR THEIR DICTATORIAL AMBITIONS

THE HADITH PROJECT:  THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPT TO EFFECT A BOLD RE-INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM & SEPARATE ITS ORIGINAL THEOLOGY FROM THE ACCRETIONS OF FOURTEEN CENTURIES -- THE DANGER THAT THE PROJECT MAY, BY LIMITING ITS SUBJECT MATTER & AVOIDING SUCH IMPORTANT ISSUES AS THE HEADSCARF, FEMALE LEGAL RIGHTS, MUSLIM WOMEN MARRYING NON-MUSLIM MEN, RIBBA, JIHAD, THE RIGHTS OF NON-MUSLIMS & THE CREATION OF AN ISLAMIC POLITICAL & SOCIAL ORDER, PROMOTE ISLAMISM MORE THAN MODERNIZE ISLAM

THE POLITICAL FUTURE OF TURKEY:  CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, OR AUTHORITARIAN DICTATORSHIP?   THE RULE OF LAW & SEPARATION OF GOVERNMENT & RELIGION, OR ISLAMIST THEOCRACY & TYRANNY?  THE GOVERNING ELITE & ITS SUPPORTERS LEGALLY ACCOUNTABLE, OR ABOVE THE LAW?  LEGISLATIVE & EXECUTIVE SUPREMACY, OR RESPECT FOR THE JUCICIAL PROCESS?

THE RULING REGIME & GULEN MOVEMENT IN TURKEY:  THEIR USE OF FABIAN TACTICS TO UNDERMINE TURKISH CONSTITUTIONALISM & SECULARISM & BRING ABOUT AN ISLAMIST REVOLUTION IN TURKEY -- THREAT TO U.S. FOREIGN POLICY & NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- INABILITY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO EFFECTIVELY PROTECT AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS IN THE REGION, DUE TO THE INCOMPETENCE OF POLITICAL APPOINTEES & CAREER BUREAUCRATS IN THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY APPARATUS

IRAQI KURDISTAN & THE U.S.A.:  THE UNRELIABILITY OF THE IRAQI KURDS AS A U.S. ALLY -- OBSTACLES TO SUCH AN ALLIANCE:  UNSTABLE, CORRUPT, AUTHORITARIAN, & DOUBLE-DEALING POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN IRAQI KURDISTAN, THE CORROSIVE IDEOLOGIES OF ISLAMISM & EXTREME NATIONALISM, PKK TERRORISM, IRANIAN INFILTRATION; THE LONG-STANDING U.S.-TURKISH RELATIONSHIP; AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

TURKEY, KURDISH TERRORISTS, THE WAR ON TERRORISM, AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS, & U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST:  THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE & ITS ILL-ADVISED DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY TOWARD THE PKK, A STRATEGY THAT WILL LIKELY BACKFIRE ON TURKEY & COULD SERVE TO UNDERMINE WHAT IS LEFT OF U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM -- THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S COUNSELING TURKEY TO OFFER POLITICAL CONCESSIONS TO THE IRAQI KURDS AND THE PKK, RATHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT'S ADHERING TO A NO-TOLERANCE POLICY TOWARD TERRORISM -- THE NEED FOR THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ESTABLISHMENT TO RECOGNIZE THAT CONCESSIONS FUEL TERROR, THAT ONLY COERSION & FORCE WORK IN DEALING WITH TERRORISTS & TERROR ENABLERS, & THAT TURKEY, LIKE ANY OTHER COUNTRY, HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS CITIZENS FROM TERRORISM

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION & OTHER REPREHENSIBLE & UNPATRIOTIC BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS:  POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING, HEADLINE HUNTING, & LEAKING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION BY PARTISAN DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS UNDERCUT AMERICA'S WAR AGAINST ISLAMIST TERRORISM -- DEMOCRATS EMBOLDEN THE TERRORISTS & ENDANGER THE LIVES OF U.S. SERVICEMEN FIGHTING TERRORISTS IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN -- DEMOCRATS MAKE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THE JOB OF DEFENDING AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- DEMOCRATS UNDERMINE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY

THE BUSH PRESIDENCY & UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY:  THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIPLOMACY & INTERNATIONAL POLITICS -- HOW A MAJOR WORLD POWER'S BROKEN PROMISES IMPACT UPON INTERNATIONAL CRISES -- THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF DETERIORATING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S.A. & ONCE-STAUNCH ALLIES SUCH AS TURKEY, ISRAEL, TAIWAN, JAPAN, & SOUTH KOREA -- HOW WELL HAS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION LIVED UP TO ITS COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM & STABLE CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN ISLAMIC NORTH AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST?

THE BARZANI FAMILY:  KURDISH POLITICS, INTERNATIONAL TREACHERY, & KURDISH NATIONALISM -- SWITCHING ALLIANCES AS PART OF THE BARZANI FAMILY POLITICAL CULTURE -- MASOUD BARZANI AS AN EXTREMELY UNREALIABLE ALLY OF THE U.S.A.

KEMALISM:  SECULARISM & NATIONALISM AS THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF MODERN TURKEY -- THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN HARDLINE KEMALISTS & GROUPS RESISTING SECULARISM & NATIONALISM -- LIBERALS, SOCIALISTS, COMMUNISTS, & ISLAMISTS CHALLENGE STRICT ADHERENCE TO SECULARISM & NATIONALISM AS BEDROCK PRINCIPLES OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC -- THE GROWING INROADS OF POLITICAL ISLAM -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ARMENIAN HERITAGE WITHIN TURKEY -- CONTINUING MANIFESTATIONS OF TURKISH NATIONALISM -- TURKEY & EUROPE --THE SEARCH FOR A COMMON DENOMINATOR THAT CAN UNITE TURKISH SOCIETY

IRAQ, IRAQI KURDISTAN, ETHNIC FEDERALISM, & UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST:  U.S. SUPPORT FOR KURDISH NATIONALISM & ITS DRIVE TO BRING ABOUT AN INDEPENDENT & UNITED KURDISTAN -- THE KURDISH NATIONALIST DRIVE & ITS THREAT TO TURKEY'S NATIONAL SECURITY & TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

TURKISH POLITICS & THE THREAT OF ISLAMISM:  THE ISLAMIST THREAT TO TURKEY AS A SECULAR STATE -- THE ISLAMIST ROOTS OF TURKEY'S RULING JUSTICE & DEVELOPMENT PARTY -- PRIME MINISTER RECEP ERDOGAN'S USE OF THE AKP SUPERMAJORITY IN THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO ERODE THE INSTITUTIONS & MECHANISMS AT THE HEART OF TURKISH SECULARISM -- ISLAMIZING EDUCATION & THE JUDICIARY -- AKP POLITICAL CORRUPTION -- DECLINING AKP POPULARITY & THE COMING SHOWDOWN -- WILL MILITARY INTERVENTION BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT AN ERDOGAN PRESIDENCY? WHAT SHOULD THE U.S.A. DO ABOUT THE SITUATION IN TURKEY?

PKK TERRORISM:   PROBLEM FOR TURKISH SECURITY & FOR TURKEY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA & THE EUROPEAN UNION -- WHY THE PKK RESORTS TO VIOLENCE -- THE PKK'S MAOIST IDEOLOGY -- NO HOPE FOR THE PKK'S SINCERE RENUNCIATION OF VIOLENCE -- THE ONLY REALISTIC APPROACH TO RESOLVING THE CONFLICT & SOLVING THE PROBLEM:  TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE PKK

THE THREAT OF ISLAMISM IN TURKEY:  ISLAMIST INROADS INTO TURKISH POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, & PUBLIC POLICY -- EROSION OF DEMOCRACY, THE RULE OF LAW, CONSTITUTIONALISM, & SEPARATION OF GOVERNMENT & RELIGION IN TURKEY -- HOW INEPT & "POLITICALLY CORRECT" U.S. DIPLOMACY IS PUTTING AT RISK TURKEY'S FUTURE AS A SECULAR, WESTERN-ORIENTED NATION-STATE & ALLY OF THE U.S.A.

YUCEL ASKIN:  TURKISH DISSIDENT WHO HAS BEEN IN THE EYE OF THE STORM CENTERING ON ISLAMIST ENCROACHMENT ON TURKEY'S SECULAR UNIVERSITIES -- DEFENDING CONSTITUTIONALISM, THE RULE OF LAW, & THE SEPARATION OF GOVERNMENT & RELIGION -- RESISTING EFFORTS OF PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN & HIS RULING JUSTICE & DEVELOPMENT PARTY TO WEAKEN TURKEY'S SECULAR FOUNDATIONS & DESTROY THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE COUNTRY'S EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS -- DEFENDING THE TURKISH REPUBLIC AGAINST THE FORCES OF POLITICAL ISLAM

ISRAEL, AZERBAIJAN, & INTERNATIONAL POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA:  THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ISRAEL & AZERBAIJAN -- THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PARTNERSHIP & ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA -- HOW FAR ARE AZERBAIJANI ELITES WILLING TO PURSUE TIES WITH ISRAEL? WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF THE BAKU-JERUSALEM RELATIONSHIP TO AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS?

THE BUSH DOCTRINE & UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST:  SEEKING & SUPPORTING THE GROWTN OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS & INSTITUTIONS, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ENDING TYRANNY IN THE WORLD -- HOW HARD SHOULD THE U.S.A. PUSH CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN THE ISLAMIC MIDDLE EAST?  HOW MUCH EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE POPULAR VOTE & DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS?  HOW SLOW OR FAST SHOULD BE THE TRANSFORMATION FROM DICTATORSHIP TO CONSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY?  SHOULD THE U.S.A BE NEUTRAL IN MIDDLE EASTERN ELECTIONS?  HOW IMPORTANT IS POLITICAL STABILITY?  DO ELECTIONS MODERATE ISLAMISTS?  IS TURKEY A MODEL FOR DEMOCRATIZATION?  AS REGARDS ITS EFFORTS TO DEMOCRATIZE THE MIDDLE EAST, HOW SHOULD THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION BE GRADED?

STATECRAFT & THE USE OF DIPLOMACY & DIALOGUE IN THE CONDUCT OF FOREIGN POLICY & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:  WHY EFFECTIVE FOREIGN POLICY REQUIRES THAT DIPLOMACY & DIALOGUE WITH ADVERSARIES BE CARRIED ON WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF AN OVERARCHING STRATEGY -- HOW POORLY TIMED NEGOTIATIONS & MISPLACED CONFIDENCE IN AN ADVERSARY'S SINCERITY CAN HAMPER, RATHER THAN HASTEN, SOLUTIONS TO INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS -- THE NEED FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO COME TO GRIPS WITH REALITY IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

THE CENTRAL PROBLEM IN RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY & THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:  TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN'S DEMONSTRATED ANTIPATHY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, INCLUDING HIS ACCELERATING ASSAULT ON THE RULE OF LAW, JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE, TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM & TOLERANCE, & THE DIVISION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS & SECULAR EDUCATION

THE TERROR WAR THAT THE KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY IS WAGING AGAINST TURKEY:  PART OF THE GLOBAL TERROR WAR THAT THE ISLAMISTS ARE WAGING AGAINST AMERICA & THE WEST -- PKK SATELLITE TELEVISION BROADCASTS FROM EUROPE, PKK FUNDRAISING IN THE U.S.A. & OTHER WESTERN NATIONS, & PKK USE OF IRAQI KURDISTAN AS A SAFE HAVEN UNDERCUTTING THE U.S.-LED WAR ON TERRORISM -- THE NEED FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO TERMINATE PKK FUNDRAISING IN THE U.S.A. & FOR THE U.S.-LED COALITION FORCES TO ERADICATE PKK SAFE HAVENS IN IRAQ & SEAL THE IRAQI BORDER -- WHAT IS AT STAKE:  THE U.S.-TURKISH STRATEGIC ALLIANCE & AMERICA'S ABILITY TO WIN THE WAR ON TERRORISM

TURKEY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP & CONTROL OF RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN & THE SOCALLED "JUSTICE & DEVELOPMENT PARTY":   TURKEY'S TURN AWAY FROM TOLERANCE, DIVERSITY OF BELIEF, THE RULE OF LAW, & SECULAR NATIONALISM -- TURKEY'S MOVE TOWARD MILITANT ISLAM & ISLAMIST DICTATORSHIP -- THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN TURKEY'S CURRENT POLITICAL REGIME

ARMENIANS, TURKS, & THE DEBATE OVER THE MASSACRES OF ARMENIANS IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE DURING WORLD WAR I:  DID THE MASSACRES CONSTITUTE A GENOCIDE?  DID THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT INTENTIONALLY ORGANIZE THE MASSACRES, DELIBERATELY & CONSCIOUSLY PURSUING THE OBJECTIVE OF COMPLETELY DESTROYING THE ARMENIAN POPULATION?  OR, HAVE THE ARMENIAN PARTISANS FAILED TO SUBSTANTIATE THEIR CLAIM THAT THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT HAD & IMPLEMENTED A PREMEDITATED PLAN OF ANNIHILATION? -- THE NEED FOR EMPIRICALLY GROUNDED HISTORICAL RESEARCH THAT SEEKS A COMMON POOL OF FIRM KNOWLEDGE -- THE NEED TO RESCUE HISTORY FROM PARTISANS & IDEOLOGICAL NATIONALISTS WHO HAVE PLUNDERED HISTORY TO SERVE THEIR OWN POLITICAL ENDS

TURKISH POLITICS, ISLAMISM, & TURKEY'S SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT:  ISLAMIST INFLUENCE IN THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT & TURKEY'S DRIFT AWAY FROM CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY, THE RULE OF LAW, JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE, & SEPARATION OF STATE & RELIGION -- TURKEY'S MOVEMENT TOWARD A RESURGENCE OF AUTHORITARIANISM & TOWARD IMPOSITION OF AN ISLAMIST DICTATORSHIP

TURKEY & ISRAEL -- WHAT THE TWO NATIONS HAVE IN COMMON:  EACH NATION HAS A COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPE & EACH HAS EXPERIENCED AN INTERNAL POPULAR REACTION AGAINST SECULARISM & ELITISM & THE RISE OF RELIGIOUS-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES

GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, & POLITICAL FINANCE IN TURKEY UNDER THE ABSOLUTE RULE OF PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN'S POLITICAL PARTY, THE ADALET VE KALKINMA PARTISI (JUSTICE & RECONCILIATION PARTY):  IS THE AKP A THREAT TO TURKISH SECULARISM?  DOES ERDOGAN'S PARTY REPRESENT AN ISLAMIST TROJAN HORSE?   CONTRADICTORY POLITICAL SIGNS & CONSISTENTLY TROUBLING FINANCIAL INDICATORS

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:  FREEDOM TO SPEAK ONE'S MIND & FREEDOM TO SPEAK WHATEVER LANGUAGE COMES MOST READILY TO ONE'S LIPS -- FREEDOM SORELY LACKING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

NEO-OTTOMANISM & THE PROFOUND SHIFT THAT HAS OCCURRED IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY -- REORIENTATION OF TURKISH POLICY AWAY FROM THE U.S.A. TOWARD EUROPE & THE ISLAMIC WORLD:  THE LASTING DAMAGE THE FOREIGN-POLICY SHIFT HAS DONE TO THE U.S.-TURKISH ALLIANCE & TO TURKEY'S NATIONAL SECURITY

THE FAILURE OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE PRESENCE OF PKK TERRORISTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ & ALONG TURKEY'S SOUTHERM BORDER WITH IRAQ:  A THREAT TO THE 50-YEAR PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TURKEY & THE U.S.A. & TO AMERICA'S CREDIBILITY IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM

TURKISH POLITICS & POLITICAL CULTURE, THE ISLAMIST THREAT, & THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF THE "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" OF U.S. NATIONAL LEADERS & DIPLOMATIC SPOKESMEN: UNDERMINING THE U.S.-TURKISH RELATIONSHIP & STRENGTHENING THE ISLAMIST MOVEMENT INSIDE TURKEY'S BORDERS

RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY & ISRAEL -- WEAKNESSES IN THE TURKISH-ISRAELI ENTENTE: POLITICAL ISLAM IN TURKEY, TURKISH PUBLIC SYMPATHY FOR THE PALESTINIAN ARABS, TURKEY'S RELATIONS WITH MANY OF ITS NEIGHBORS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, POSSIBLE DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN TURKEY & ISRAEL OVER KURDISH ASPIRATIONS, & THE DESIRE OF INFLUENTIAL SEGMENTS OF THE ISRAELI PUBLIC TO RECOGNIZE THE 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS A FACT

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