Since the ascension of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power, officials of the Turkish government are using Islam and “our Muslim brothers in the Middle East” as reference points for governing and for conducting foreign policy. With AKP’s continuous harsh criticism of the U.S. and the West in general, one finds a Turkish public opinion that is increasingly anti-American and increasingly identifies with Islamic causes. Washington is now concerned not only because of the ramifications of a new AKP government for American interests in the Middle East, but also because of its devastating impact of such a development on the traditionally secular, democratic and western people of Turkey...Please click here to read the text in full.