A contrast it may be, but it is also a compliment to the tolerance of Turkish society. It is marked by an openness that has never been more valuable than today. From the East, Turkey must incorporate the pull of the fundamentalist revival, popular in universities. From the West come the attractions of liberalism and permissiveness. Potentially a conflict of values that could fracture their society, this meeting of East and West is more likely to be the making of modem Turkey.
Turkey can find prosperity and status as the go-between in trade and international relations.
Some Turks frown upon the changes that have accompanied new riches. To most Turks the future must be an exciting prospect, in a country gaining respect and influence. Many Third World governments have foundered in their attempts to modernize their countries by pursuing false ideas to unworkable conclusions. Turkey is one of the better examples, a country where progress is succeeding by being left to evolve through the efforts of individuals. At the time of the original publication, Mr. Elliott worked for the Adam Smith Institute, a freemarket think tank in London.