As you correctly point out, Tracy, speaking of Turkey in the same way as other nations with historically Muslim traditions is just misguided and wrong. Since 1922 the legal position of women in Turkey has rivaled any Western country.

Eastern Turkey has always been more traditional, but even there it is the Muslim tradition from Ottoman days, not the Wahabbi yearning for Sha'ria. The tradition is more Sufi if anything. The Arabs never "conquered" Turkey. The Turks adopted Islam, but made it very much their own. More characteristic of Turkish Islam was the fact that when Spain expelled the Jews they went to Turkey and flourished. (and do so to this day)

While it is true non-Turkish elements have pumped huge amounts of money into Turkey attempting to influence the political balance (and to a certain degree being successful, given the inclinations of the current ruling party ) there is a very strong tradition that will, I think, protect the huge advances begun by one of the most interesting men of the 20th century, Kemal Ataturk.

No other Mulsim state has Turkey's unique history or such a strong core of very Western looking intellectuals and business people who understand the role Turkey can play in the future.

>>This is more a social and religious issue than it is a government one.
>>
>>Sorry, but I think the facts say otherwise - when elements like Sharia become mixed with the government.
>
>What facts support the 2nd part of your statement? Are you referring to other incidents? I already showed you the proof that the law supports equal rights for women as for men in Turkey. I'm not clear what sharia has law to do with it? Even though Islam is its dominant religion, Turkey has a secular government. The civil code was adopted from the 1907 Swiss Civil Code (granted Switzerland's has changed much since then).