Pope's Remarks On Armenian Genocide Spark Row With Turkey

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**EmpNortonII**

LordofHats wrote:
The issue is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He's basically Jesus (figuratively speaking) in Turkey. He was a central figure behind the Turkish War of Independence and the formation of the secular Turkish state. To understand how seriously he's taken in Turkey, consider than in 1934 the Turkish Parliament passed a law banning anyone from being named Ataturk (because there can only be one!). Guy is serious business over there. Think of George Washington elevated to near religious status.

This is, of course, ironic, given that Turkey is a nation that is growing more and more religious and that Ataturk was a godless drunk (I of course bring this up as another godless drunk).