Mehmet Celebi

By Mehmet Celebi - On September 12, more than 20 million Turks voted a resounding “Yes,” and thus endorsed a constitutional amendment package that could open wider the door to democratization in the Middle East.

Turkey’s  landslide referendum outcome —which will enhance civil liberties and individual rights—was watched closely by hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world, and serves as yet another opportunity for the country to show leadership in the region. As a prominent Arab scholar told me recently “If Turkey fails, what alternative is there for the Muslim and Arab world?”