Yesterday’s CSM had an interesting piece on the Turkish elections: Economy trumps religion in Turkey.

In regards to the economy and the results, the following is noteworthy:

Buoyed by the result, the Turkish stock market soared, and the currency jumped to a two-year high against the dollar.

[…]

The value of what is in those pockets has rising steadily under AK rule, because of pro-business policies that encourage foreign investment, and a string of EU-inspired and other reforms that have opened Turkey more toward the West.

While there are certainly persons in the Turkish business community who are wary, if not directly opposed to the AKP (at least one is quoted in the article), but it is noteworthy that the general economic reaction was positive–hardly what one would expect if the AKP was the second coming of the Taliban.

Now, it is always possible that the AKP is simply talking a good game and how they govern from here forward will tell us more than their previous stint in control of the parliament if they are able to gain the presidency. Still, the evidence to date suggests that while they are interested in allowing more religion into public life (like, for example, certain segments of mainstream US politics), it still does not appear to me that they are secretly plotting the Iranization of Turkey.

And here’s a question: will the AKP leadership be more prone to support military incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan so as to forge a better relationship with the military?