President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains one of the most controversial leaders in Turkey’s history. A devout Muslim, Erdogan has steadily dismantled the secular traditions of country — a rare alternative to the Sharia systems or Islamic republics common in Muslim nations. As in those other countries, the insertion of Islamic rules have been accompanied with crackdowns on civil liberties, press freedom, women’s rights, and religious minorities. Recently, that included heavy fines for a television program for showing the immorality of a man dancing with a Western woman. Erdogan also attempted to rewrite history (with human rights) by recently declaring that Muslims discovered America . As criticism has mounted, he has inflamed his religious followers over a vast media conspiracy against his righteous policies. Now, Erdogan has attacked the use of birth control as a form of “treason” and said that women must commit themselves to having three or more children in the interests of the nation: “One or two is not enough.”
Previously, Erdogan has proposed limits on abortion rights, the morning-after pill and Caesarian sections.
There are many secular Muslims,including many women who reject Erdogan’s views. However, Erdogan’s success is based on his ability to rally and maintain support of Islamic parties and groups.
Erdogan warned that traitors using birth control would make a whole generation to “dry up” in speech at the Istanbul wedding ceremony of the son of businessman Mustafa Kefeli, one of his closest allies. He told the couple not to use birth control “[t]o make our nation stronger.” Ironically, he insisted that more children will “take Turkey above the level of modern civilisations,” despite his efforts rollback on basic human freedoms and to impose religious dogma on the population.
Most people go for the funny story or the touching account for the newlywed couple. Erdogan instead wanted that “In this country, they [meaning those who disagree with him] have been engaged in the treason of birth control for years and sought to dry up our generation.”
Women, according to Erdogan, must focus on producing the requisite number of children: “One (child) means loneliness, two means rivalry, three means balance and four means abundance. And God takes care of the rest.”
He ended appropriately enough with “I have faith in you.”
Mr. Erdogan talks about the “treason of birth control”, but ignores the economics of birth control. Most people practice birth control because they want to have the number of children that they can afford. It’s nice to say that God will take care of the rest, but how realistic is that?
The Mayor of Poville is busy today, putting out fires, as it were.
An additional thought, when I run across very authoritarian people with no children, I always say “Thank you God!” Or nature/ fate, whatever, I do believe he/ they know what they’re doing.
How nice that some appoint themselves god like qualities. I’d like to believe that a God knows what he’s doing and humans mess up.
We are not getting the population we need. It used to be one for each of you, plus another for society, and a fourth if possible. That was based on diseases killing so many. But America is not replacing or adding to our population enough. Actually those who should have more children aren’t and those that shouldn’t are having too many!
Hard to tell, pogo, with these Republicans to deal with, anyone may be forgiven a tendency towards authoritarianism.
“…authoritarian flavor, found also in Bibi and in Ted Cruz”
You misspelled ‘Barack Obama.’
Well said, Inga/ pete!
Any one who tells you you to eschew your personal liberty for the sake of what they personally deem a priority is one to keep an eye on.
Never liked Erdogan, because I sensed that brin de je ne sais quoi, that authoritarian flavor, found also in Bibi and in Ted Cruz.
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.
Edward Abbey
Erdogan gives new meaning to the phrase: “Make Love Not War” – a slogan straight out of 1960’s America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_love,_not_war
Me too Raff! I think I deserve a Mother’s pin. I’ve heard lots of grousing about young women not having enough children by some folks. That sounds like a baby step into Erdogan territory.
I guess since I have 4 kids, my wife and I are safe from being called a traitor.
rafflaw – kidwise you and your wife have done your patriotic duty.
Again, a huge part of the problem is fundamentalism. In Muslim countries before fundamentalists got into power Christians lived and worshiped safely and women could become doctors, little girls could go to school safely. Fundamentalism is a scourge on any religion.
Erdogan is a fan of da Bears.
Pogo Hears a Who
The dominant faith shapes and ultimately determines the civilization, regardless of local culture.
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Within a country, sure, but certainly not in the larger regional sphere.
What do Shia, and Sunni have in common, in a civilizational realm? Within sunni, what do wahabism and sufism have in common? Structurally and practically, nothing!
In one, the woman is unseen, in other, the woman is president. That is culture before faith.
At least she’ll have the homonormative lesbiarchy to keep her warm.
The dominant faith shapes and ultimately determines the civilization, regardless of local culture.
Olly, agree with that too.
Pogo, the fallacy unfortunately is the speaking of islamic civilization…what does it mean?
Civilization suggests culture, and Turkey is nothing like Iran, culturally, and neither is like Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nigeria…
Islam is not a civilization, it is a practice, which hints back at my question to you on another thread…what is Islam to you?
Being from Senegal, I have little in common with either Iran and Turkey but the fact that we claim the same faith (and have an Iranian and a Turk on my soccer team.)
“There’s a hint…”
Phooey.
“What does interest me, however, is the threat posed by theocratic governments, and that is the underlying issue here.”
Mike,
I agree with your post but would take it a bit further. A theocracy at least has some rule of law to guide it (I don’t want that by the way); what interests me is the threat posed by placing the power of government in one person.