Stephen Kinzer Turkey Quotations

There is much to justify Turkey's reverence for Ataturk. He is the force that allowed Turkey to rise from the ashes of defeat and emerge as a vibrant new nation.

Without Ataturk's vision, without his ambition and energy, without his astonishing boldness in sweeping away traditions accumulated over centuries, today's Turkey would not exist, and the world would be much poorer.

Turkey and Brazil, though half a world apart geographically, have much in common. Both are large countries that spent long years under military dominance, but have broken with that history and made decisive steps towards full democracy.

Turkey can be a bridge to regimes and actions the United States can't reach. Turkey can talk to people the United States can't talk to.

Turkey is immersed in a profound social and political conflict between secularists, who have been in power since the republic was founded, and an insurgent Islamic-based movement that seeks to increase the role of religion in public life.

As the United States shapes and carries out its policies toward Muslim countries, it should do so with Turkey at its side.

Few if any countries understand the growing importance of water as fully as Turkey does.

The dramatic rise of Turkey in the councils of world power was one of the main geopolitical developments of 2010.

For decades, Turkey was widely viewed as a reliable NATO ally: prickly at times, but safely in America's corner.

The long-term strategic goals of Iran and the long-term strategic goals of Turkey are close to the long-term strategic goals of the United States.