European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fogus demonstrators pack an Istanbul Square to demand support for fellow muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Radical islam gaining Power in Turkey by Daniel  the associated press upper stickers proclaim Power belongs to  the Power of islam is growing in Turkey a Muslim but constitutionally secular nation of 60 million people. As it does the division widens Between religious activists and people dedicated to secularism. Radical is am is not considered Likely to dominate the country As in neighbouring Iran but its anti Western message conflicts with Turkey s position As a nato member and aspirant to the european Community. Enforcement of sanctions on Iraq and the Protection of kurd in Northern Iraq depend on Turkey s cooperation. The ground is Fertile for polarization said Cengiz Candor a columnist for the Istanbul daily Sabah. There is a feeling of revolt in the conscience of the people. We feel our Muslim identity much More  some see the islamic revival As a belated reaction against How the modern Republic was founded 71 years ago by Mustafa Kemal later named Ataturk. He ruthlessly sought to rid Turkey of its ottoman and religious past using Western oriented secular nationalism to unite it. He closed religious schools and a few mosques turning them into museums banned the Public wearing of religious garb and changed to the roman alphabet from arabic the language of the Koran. Nowadays mainstream politicians take care to be observed going to mosque and the  Premier Tansu filler says thank cod file the fundamental islam movement like this mosque Tower in Istanbul appears ready to take off. I am a  the circulations of islamic newspapers Are increasing. Although no Stati is Are available analysts say turks Are becoming More observant. Women in ankle length Black Robes showing Only a Small Triangle of face Are common in some quarters of Istanbul a City of 11 million. The fundamentalist welfare party a Well organized group led by Necmettin Erb akan won 40 seats in the 450 member parliament in 1991 and captured six Istanbul districts in local elections a year ago. It is expected to do Well in nationwide local elections in March. Erb akan claims his followers have doubled in number to 1.6 million Over two years. He draws support from those who Are dissatisfied with corruption and from the masses of Rural migrants to the cities Many of whom find Refuge from unemployment and poverty in the promises of religion. Islam will make a revolution in civilization said one welfare party supporter Firat Oruc a 19-year-old sociology student at Istanbul University. He spoke during noon prayers one Friday in december at the 16th-Century Bayazit mosque where worshippers spilled out into the courtyard. Islamic revival takes different forms in Turkey. One is a kind of cultural expression that harks Back to the ottoman past As the Center of the islamic world said Dogu Ergil a political scientist at Ankara University. Another is a Liberal capitalist  the Best example of that is Ikhlas a $200 nillion a year holding company that puts its profits Back into operations and is modelled after Muslim charitable foundations. Ikhlas owns the largest Selling islamic paper Turkiya which has a room for prayer at its Istanbul Headquarters and runs a fundamentalist television station. The company has interests in construction hospitals and publishing and distributes islamic books free outside Turkey. A third kind of islamic revival is More threatening. On july 2, thousands of fundamentalists rampaged in the Central town of sivas to protest a meeting of a group of Liberal intellectuals they set fire to the hotel and 36 people were killed. Prominent critics of islamic extremism have been murdered most recently Ugur Kumcu in january 1992. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in his funeral procession to show support for secularism. When Turgut Ozal Turkey s first president to openly embrace islam died two months later millions marched in what Candor the Sabah columnist called a pro Muslim demonstration. Short Story a Mirinovsky demands Money for his thoughts by the Washington Post want a word with Vladimir a Mirinovsky that la be $300, please for the first five minutes. The russian Ultra nationalist who stunned the world with his Strong showing in last month s parliamentary elections is demonstrating that he has the same nimble touch at Public relations As he does at Public diplomacy. Just Back from a whirlwind tour of Europe where he was tossed out of Bulgaria banned from Germany and denounced in Romania where he never even set soothe has informed foreign correspondents that the Days of free chitchat Are Over. Interviews with print reporters will be $300 for the first five minutes. After that the fee is negotiable. Televised interviews Are a lot More. When one american television network approached a Mirinovsky for an interview with its Anchorman the russian extremist asked for $60,000. The network refused. Most american and european news organizations do not pay for interviews As a matter of policy. However Vyacheslav Shi Shelin a protocol official for a Mirinovsky said some Media outlets have paid. He did not mention which ones upon his  Bulgaria visitors waited in line outside a Mirinovsky s ramshackle office in downtown Moscow. Some were admitted somewhere not apparently depending Onishe whims of a Mirinovsky and his aides. One of those waiting for an audience was Rolf Gauffin former swedish ambassador to Syria who was seeking an interview for what he said would be a treatise on Russia and the world. He was admitted free for a half hour conversation. Then there was Georgio Bongovanni a self described envoy of Jesus. The 30-year-old italian said he wanted to talk to the russian extremist about ufos Angelia Ngod not necessarily in that order. I want to Appeal to a Mirinovsky because he has Many votes and there s a real Chance he May come to Power Bongovanni said. Pecan Bea threat or a  he was granted an audience. Meanwhile a Mirinovsky continues to make news much of it serving to unify his perceived enemies. Last sunday Welt am sonntag a German newspaper quoted a confidential report by the German embassy in Bulgaria that said the russian threatened to return 300,000 russian troops to Eastern Germany to demand Tough War reparations from Bonn and to destroy Germany in a third world War if he comes to Power. German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in a radio interview broadcast the same Day cited Mirinovsky and the Rise of extreme nationalism in Russia As justification for his position that Germany must maintain a Strong military. A French official also condemned a Mirinovsky who has said he wants to visit France next month. We cannot tolerate the Type of statements made by or. A Mirinovsky european affair minister Alain Lama Soure said on French television. If he continues to Issue such statements i cannot see How we could Welcome him in  a Mirinovsky 22 the stars and stripes him a Brihm Lamb monday january 10,1994