Do Turkeys vote for Xmas?

On Sunday Turkey holds a general election, the BBC report is here. "For 84 years, modern Turkey has been defined by a holy trinity — the army, the republic and its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Each was linked inextricably to the others and all were beyond reproach." Thanks to the New York Times for that succinct comment.

This election could have repercussions for the whole of Europe. A victory for the AK Party (AKP) could mark the beginning of the end of secularism in Turkey and the Turkish army may feel forced to react and what ensues may not be pleasant to behold. If the AKP fail to win then the backlash by increasingly radicalised religious elements within Turkey also does not bode well. The end of Kemalism, the fiercely secular ideology that sought to extinguish religious networks and ultimately religion itself from society, may be nigh unless those Turkish liberals who have allied themselves with the AKP are right and they AKP really are not a threat to secularism. However, I find it rather tricky to know what set of circumstances will allow the Turks, the Kurds, the Muslims and the rest of the Turkish population to live in peace. Do bear in mind that what happens in Turkey may have repercussions in Iraq, the Middle East, Europe and the rest of the World.

If you want some background on the AKP's political power base then take a look at this.