“Turkey has never been colonized, so it remained as an independent nati...” — Mustafa Akyol Quote

“Turkey has never been colonized, so it remained as an independent nation after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.”

“The Qur'an not only lacks any earthly punishment for someone who abandons Islam, it even includes verses that imply that such a change of heart should be a matter of free choice.”

“Foreign journalists writing about Turkey like to focus on the most fundamental divide in Turkish society: the rift between religious conservatives and secularists.”

“After coming into contact with a religious man I always feel I must wash my hands.”

“The day before I was famous in Denmark, nobody looked my way. The day after, everybody wanted to talk to me.”

“Losing one grounds you a bit. I learned a lot after losing the title in 2009, learned that I was probably too intense that year, and when I didn't win, I just felt horrible.”