WASHINGTON, Jan 18: Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has challenged and repudiated the view that democracy and secularism cannot exist in an Islamic society and cited his country’s own example to support his argument.

Speaking at the National Press Club on Thursday afternoon, Mr Ecevit said Turkey showed that a democracy could thrive in a predominantly Muslim country. “Islam is and can be compatible with democracy and secularism,” Mr Ecevit declared.

He said the Turkish model had become specially relevant after the events of September 11, and many more people now thought that it could provide an answer to many of today’s problems.

Mr Ecevit, a former journalist and press counsellor, pointed out that the world was going through a defining moment, with Sept 11 having set in motion a titanic shift in the tide of international affairs and triggering a debate on different religions and cultures. The challenge for democratic societies was to counter terrorism while at the same time preserving individual liberties.

Somewhat of a same theme was reflected in last week’s speech by General Pervez Musharraf, who had once early on after his coup declared himself to be an admirer of modern Turkey’s founder Kemal Ataturk. The general had cautioned against turning Pakistan into a theocracy and urged moderation and tolerance. However, observers note that Pakistan remains under military rule and has some way to go before it can be called a functioning democracy.

Mr Ecevit, who has been known to be opposed to widening the current “campaign against terrorism” to dislodge Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, again warned of the consequences for Turkey and the Middle East of such a course of action. He referred to views in the US advocating striking Iraq, but said no one had mentioned a military solution to him in discussions during his visit here which included a meeting with President George Bush.