Word: secularize
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...coincidence that Obama chose Turkey to cap his first trip abroad. Turkey is a significant player in foreign policy issues that matter to the U.S. - concerning Iraq, Iran, Israel and the Palestinians, and Afghanistan. It also combines a mainly Muslim population with a secular democracy. Washington's close ties here exemplify the type of relationship Obama hopes to build with the rest of the Islamic world. "Some people have asked me if I chose to continue my travels to Ankara and Istanbul to send a message to the world," Obama said. "And my answer is simple: Evet...
...Obama's address met with rousing applause from Turkish MPs and is likely to please Turks, many of whom had chafed at the Bush Administration's efforts to position Turkey as a "moderate Islamic state," weakening its officially secular identity. "He said Turkey is a country that's part of the Western world that happens to be Muslim. He's endorsing Turkey as a role model," said Soner Cagatay, head of the Turkish program at the Washington Institute, on CNN. "It's a speech that many Turks will remember for years to come...
...Barack Obama's arrival this Sunday evening has all of Turkey aflutter. Turks see Obama's visit as proof of his commitment to building bridges with the Muslim world, as well as a reflection of the new administration's desire to have Turkey - with a Muslim majority but officially secular, democratic and a candidate for E.U. entry - play a much bigger role in the wider region...
...accountable to parliament," says Kardas. But that process has largely stalled, with European leaders divided over Turkey's future membership. New hope has arrived in the shape of U.S. President Barack Obama, who will visit Turkey next week and whose administration is keen to have Turkey - Muslim yet officially secular and democratic - play a larger role in the region...
...There are serious moral arguments, both secular and religious. There are those who believe - with some good reason - that the accretion of legalized vices is debilitating, that we are a less virtuous society since gambling spilled out from Las Vegas to "riverboats" and state lotteries across the country. There is a medical argument, though not a very convincing one: alcohol is more dangerous in a variety of ways, including the tendency of some drunks to get violent. One could argue that the abuse of McDonald's has a greater potential health-care cost than the abuse of marijuana. (Although...