BBC news 2015-06-02 加文本

BBC news 2015-06-02

It is an engine of Turkey's growth, high speed rail, this line connecting Ankara with once sleepy Konya. A pet project of the governing AK party, infrastructure wins votes. It arrived in what was an agricultural city, but Konya's rapid growth mixs with it deep conservatism and made it a stronghold of the religious minded AKP. But this factory is a recipe for success, a thriving business climate and the government focused on its hard time. Start here, when from 900 a decade ago to 11,000. it's now among Turkey's top 20 companies. And chairman declared why.“It is on the toiling of outcasts, Europe-branded Islamic capitalists, but the AK party, they'd opened a way to us, and shown us that with effort and ambition we can succeed.”

Keen to be linked to the economic boom, he's also a local AKP candidate. Conflicts of interest is no issue here. He is warmly received on the campaign trail, but he is preaching to the converted. The only economy, religion thrived for support to the AK party. It's misrooted, it draw in people who felt isolated by Turkey's secular constitution. This party has pushed religion to the hub of politics, and its voters say it's gave them an voice. Especially the women previously banned from wearing headscarf in public institution. Now, they are encouraged.“The AK party has liberated our religious people, as women, we are now comfortable. Before in hospital, we were treated like dogs. With this government, we were given respects.”Staunch supporters of the government aren't moved by criticism over authoritarianism and lack of free speech and injustice. For this pile side of Turkey, the devotion is seen:“We feel more empowered, that we feel that we own this country more, and we feel more part of this country. It is like, you know, we can say that you know we want to live in a certain area, we can go to a shopping mall and that's foremost, we can go to a five star hotel and that's foremost of, you know, what we need.”

Konya was where the Whirling Dervish were born, of the mythical Islamic Sufi order. Turkey's identity is a complex mix, the religious and secular, and the conservative Turk loyalty to their government is unshakeable. Mark Lowen,BBC news, Konya.