Phoenix Journal 208 - Four Winds 10

Don’t believe these liars. They’ll say anything to put you to sleep as they stick their knives into your back.
Remember God does not work with guns and revenge—He uses positive actions to gain victory. Hopefully
you will listen for His guidance—the greatest leader ever!!
TURKISH ARMY BRACES
FOR ISLAMIC UPRISING
From THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, June 15, 1997, [quoting:]
ANKARA—Turkish military cadets hear a revered name called out at the end of their graduation: Gen.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey.
In unison, they shout, “In our heart!”
The separation of Islam and state is ingrained in the hearts of the 750,000 member Turkish military, NATO’s
second-largest army. More than any other institution in Turkey, the military adheres to the idea of secularism.
A perceived threat to that ideology is a major force behind the army’s increasingly fierce and open opposition
to Muslim politicians in Turkey’s government, such as Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, who want
to create a more Islamic nation.
Top generals delivered a blunt message to Islamic activists last week that they feared a religious revolution
and warned they might use force to stop it.
Ideology isn’t the only factor in the military’s reaction—there are fears a truly Islamic state would challenge
the army’s political and economic power.
The officers make up a highly respected elite class. they have a major say in Turkey’s course by being part
of the National Security Council, which oversees the country’s foreign and domestic policies.
The military entered business in a major way in the 1970s. In addition to military-run hotels, holiday
villages, supermarkets and housing projects, the army owns the Oyak company, which produces Renault
cars locally.
The installation of modern Turkey’s first Islamic-led government 11 months ago put the military on alert.
The generals grew increasingly uneasy as the government permitted female civil servants to cover their
heads in Islamic style, built a mosque at the center of Istanbul and then rearranged work hours to fit fasting
hours during the holy month of Ramadan.
Tension rose further as parliament members of the Islamic Welfare party joined rallies calling for an Islamic
regime and took vows to crush the secular republic.
In a briefing Wednesday, Gen. Fevzi Turkeri declared that Islamic radical groups were poised for an
uprising and the military might use force to crush it.
100