Analysts: "As autocratic Arab regimes falter, Turkey emerging as a model"

If President Hosni Mubarak bows to street protests and resigns, Egyptians and other Arabs seeking an alternative to autocratic government may look to Turkey for clues on wedding Islam and democracy, some analysts say. With a wave of unrest spreading from Tunisia to Jordan to Yemen, and intensifying calls for Mubarak to start a transition soon, Middle East analysts are turning their attention to Turkey, a rising diplomatic force in the region. "The only effective, working model in the Middle East is the Turkish model. There is nothing else," said Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern politics and international relations at the London School of Economics. He added, "Turkey's model serves as a foundation for similar societies, so I think then in the wake of the protests Arabs will be taking a second look at the Turkish model that marries Islamic values and democracy as a universal form of government."