"Other commentators have also noticed the change. Erdogan is rejecting the fanatic attitude of a part of the Islamic world.
"He is openly condemning the kidnappers in Iraq. He attacks those who kill in the name of Islam. He is saying that Islam can exist but needs to change. He went even further at the NATO summit and described NATO as "us," demonstrating that he now viewed Turkey as part of NATO. All this is happening because of the domestic (increasing votes) and international (signals coming from the international community) support he is receiving. Turkey is changing at a very fast pace. A portion of the nation is insisting on following the same tenets, but the rest is going in a different direction.
"I hope no one misunderstands. The road is not towards anti-secularism, but just the opposite, towards an EU that will strengthen secularism..."
Writes Mehmet Ali Birand in the Turkish Daily News.