This post is more than 16 years old
Politics move quickly and opinions evolve. There's a good chance I no longer hold some of the opinions expressed in the post below
—Mustapha
The Emergence Of Erdogan
June 2, 2010 · Mustapha Hamoui
Friend Elias Muhanna of Qifa Nabki lists “Five Thoughts on Turkey and the Flotilla Crisis” that I recommend you read.
Here’s a sixth thought which was implied but perhaps Elias was a bit shy to make:
6- Many arabs are craving a strong SUNNI leader to emerge as a counter-part to the bombastic Ahmadinejad of Iran. Mr Erdogan’s Turkey is in a way the perfect antidote to Khomeini’s Iran because it provides a model of free-trade internationalism, strong backbone and an anti-Israel fire that is still very much alive in the bellies of most (Sunni) Arabs.