THE Turkish army has stated on its website that it may intervene to defend democracy against Turkish Muslims. Pete Winstanley (HAS, July 16) thinks this proves the "broad spectrum of opinion within Islam".
If he thinks opposing democracy is a useful addition to the "spectrum of opinion", I have to wonder what other bizarre additions he has in mind.
His claim that the Turkish army is concerned only with a small bunch of Muslim extremists is nonsense.
As any ten-year-old knows, it is just not possible for a small bunch of loonies to take over a government unless they have widespread support.
Regarding his claim that "ninetynine per cent" of Turks support secular government, 17 per cent voted for the now banned Islamist "Welfare" party in 1991.
And why did 700,000 Turks take to the streets in protest against the creeping Islamisation of their government on April 29 this year? I suspect they know something Mr Winstanley doesn't, rather than the other way round.
Ralph Musgrave, Durham City.
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