On some level, I feel like the author spills a lot of ink in The Fall of the Turkish Model to get to the central points of The Turkish model is something that had succeeded in Turkey because of a number of a factors unique to Turkey that do not exist elsewhere. When we attempt to export it to various Middle Eastern countries implementation fails because these factors did not develop as strongly in Egypt, Iran, and Tunisia. Further still, the conditions that once made the Turkish model so desirable are breaking down within Turkey.

I think the argument itself is sourced well and it certainly provides a solid history of why the hopes for a more democratic Middle East, but I’m not ultimately sure what’s in here for the non-academic person who doesn’t focus on this topic on a daily basis. You produced a book about the Turkish model that seems discredited before we even consider Turkey. I would say maybe it says something negative about the imposition of western liberalism with Islam, but I doubt this warning would change any policy-making minds.