From afar Turkey is a model for others. But within the country, Turks wrangle over their legacy and future, over freedom of the press and a worsening border crisis testing their resolve and humanity.
Published November 8, 2012
Since the beginning of the uprising in Syria, streams of refugees have poured into Turkey. They now number well over 100,000 in camps set up by the Turks, creating a financial crunch for Turkey.
Inside the camps, the emotional and physical toll from the refugees’ exposure to the fighting and their flight is obvious. With no end in sight, the refugees ponder their fate. But the crisis has also stirred anxiety among Turks, who fret about the presence of so many Syrians in their country, and who worry that Turkey could be dragged into a war with its neighbor.
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Turkey has cleaned up its human rights record, but activists say abuses still abound.
With Turkey positioning itself for a greater voice in the region and with many viewing it as a model for the emerging democracies of the Arab Spring, its poor human rights record raises questions.
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Stephen Franklin is a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. He has reported from Afghanistan to North Africa and lived extensively in the region. A Pulitzer Prize runner-up,...
