Читать книгу Deadline Istanbul (The Elizabeth Darcy Series) - Peggy Hanson - Страница 7

CHAPTER 3

“I have seen the terrible punishments meted out in hell to tie-wearing atheists and arrogant colonialist positivists who make fun of the common people and their faith…”

Orhan Pamuk, Snow

Erol Metin walked from the Silver Wolves’ meeting to the bus stop in Üsküdar. From there he would catch a ferry to the European side of the Bosphorus.

Nizam, the leader of the Silver Wolves, had been right in his monologue tonight to the brothers Turkey was headed the wrong direction. One could never say so publicly, but Atatürk himself had started that, in the eyes of the Silver Wolves. After all his heroism in defining and protecting the nation at the end of World War I, Atatürk—or at least his successors—had veered off course.

Yes, there never would have been a Turkey without Atatürk. One had to admit that. Even Nizam admitted that. But why did the Father of the Turks have to wipe out Islam to save Turkey? Why did he have to embrace the West? Pushing the Greeks into the sea made sense to Erol and his group. Banning the fez and veil did not.

Erol’s purpose in life was to right that wrong, among others. Turkey was not the West; it belonged to the East. It was a magnificent leader in the East. The home of the Caliph. A bulwark for Islam.

Whatever means it took to help Turkey regain its rightful place, he would do it.

Erol was young and idealistic. He did not separate goals from methods.