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Is Erdogan Calling for Jihad In Turkey?

Prime Minister Erdogan's May 5 speech, with its religious imagery and outrage about events in Syria, could be seen as a rallying cry for a Turkish religious obligation to fight the regime, writes Pinar Tremblay.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the Global Alcohol Policy Symposium in Istanbul April 26, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: HEALTH POLITICS) - RTXZ13M
Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the Global Alcohol Policy Symposium in Istanbul, April 26, 2013. — REUTERS/Murad Sezer

A rather long speech Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave at his party’s consultation and assessment meeting at Kizilcahamam, Ankara, on May 5, marks a turning point in Turkish foreign policy. 

Erdogan spoke about many domestic issues but almost his entire speech was structured upon this moral clarity on what is right for Syria.

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