--spoiler--
Religious conservatism is on the rise, and Ankara has turned its attention away from the countrys longstanding bid for European Union membership, seeking instead a more prominent role in the Middle East and the former Ottoman lands. Vestiges of the old Kemalist orderthe headscarf ban on university campuses, restrictions on use of the Kurdish language, Soviet-style commemorations held in stadiums on national dayshave nearly disappeared.
--spoiler--
