Abromowitz defines 2011 as the year of Erdogan

In an article entitled "Year of Erdogan" which was published in The National Interest, a bimonthly foreign policy journal, former US Ambassador to Turkey Morton Abramowitz indicates that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is among a few leaders who have "covered themselves with much glory" in 2011. "In a year in which the Middle East was dominated by uprisings, violence, the fall of dictators, the rise of Islamic parties and changing alignments, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was left standing as the world's most dynamic and impressive Muslim leader, with his country widely perceived as an increasingly important international player," wrote Abramowitz, adding, "Erdogan proved not only a great driver but also filled in many of the remaining potholes, most importantly beating the political stuffing out of the Turkish military, which permitted him to make major political and economic change." Abramowitz also notes the cold shoulder given by EU to Turkey is unfortunate.