: Divide and Peacekeep? Muslim Turkey Takes Over Afghan Mission

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Turkey, long an anomaly in the Muslim world, has agreed to head the international peacekeeping force of 4,500 in Afghanistan. Such a move may not be surprising, considering that military control in the predominantly Muslim country is ubiquitous (and in some respects downright bizarre). In addition to fighting its own war on terror, Turkey has long defended its secular traditions in the interest of stability and economic progress, although courtships with the EU and even auto racers remain unsuccessful. Still, the Turks are nothing if not persistent. Not only have they jumped into the Israel/Palestine quagmire (making nice with the Greeks while they’re at it), they’re sponsoring the next mideast peace conference and are on the short list of accessories to the next Iraq invasion, an action almost universally reviled by the rest of the Muslim world. In summary: the U.S. gets to deflect anti-Islam criticism, wash its hands of the Afghan mess, and further destabilize Iraq. And Turkey gets… uh, what was the question?

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.