| Submit your comments on this article |
| The Grand Turk |
| Ihsanoglu: The Devout Intellectual Hoping to Dethrone Turkey Leader |
| 2014-06-30 |
| [An Nahar] The softly spoken, bespectacled intellectual hoping to defeat Turkey's powerful premier in the country's first direct presidential election faces a steep uphill struggle. Egypt-born Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is a former head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the global grouping of Moslem nations, and a scholar who makes no secret of his devotion to Islam. The selection of an overtly pious Moslem may seem a surprising move for the secular opposition, but it reflects the way in which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi only they haven't dumped him yet... -- who continues to dominate Turkish politics after 11 years in power -- has made it impossible to ignore the religiously conservative majority. The opposition hopes Ihsanoglu's calm and professorial demeanor will offer a welcome contrast to Erdogan's volatile outbursts and polarizing style, that have become increasingly evident over the past year as he responds to mass anti-government protests and a torrent of corruption allegations against his inner circle. Erdogan is expected to formally announce his candidacy on Tuesday for the August elections -- the first time the country has directly elected its president. Ihsanoglu is known as a brilliant intellectual with a doctorate from Ankara University who went on to found Istanbul University's department of science history, which he headed until 2004. A respected diplomat during his time as OIC president, he promoted dialogue between Islam and Christianity and has written numerous books. But his nomination required extensive discussions between the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party, who have often struggled to provide a united front against the Erdogan's supremacy. |
| Posted by:Fred |