Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with President Obama in Ankara on Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) – Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry raised hackles with his harsh criticism of the Turkish government this week, but in defending Turkey, the Obama administration was silent on the troubling policies its Islamist-leaning leaders have pursued in recent years.

Asked about Perry’s remarks, State Department spokesman Mark Toner offered a glowing assessment of Turkey, describing it as a “stalwart ally,” “a strong partner” and one that “continues to play a very positive and constructive role in the region.”

“And it is – as often cited – an example of so-called Islamic democracy in action,” he added.

The Obama administration, like its predecessor, regularly cites Turkey’s mix of Islam, democracy and economic reforms as a “model” for other countries in the Muslim world to emulate – especially so in the aftermath of last year’s uprisings in North Africa.

Just last week, President Obama and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone conversation discussed regional developments and, according to the White House, agreed the two governments “would remain in close contact on ways that Turkey and the U.S. can support the democratic transitions underway in the Middle East and North Africa.”

But Erdogan has drawn criticism for drift towards authoritarianism at home and for a shifting foreign policy that has seen the NATO member side with Iran and clash with Israel.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry speaks during the South Carolina GOP primary debate on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

During Monday’s GOP debate in South Carolina, Perry was asked whether Turkey deserved to remain in NATO, given eroding press freedom, a soaring rate of murder of women, Erdogan’s embracing of Hamas and military threats against Israel and Cyprus.

He replied, “Well, obviously when you have a country that is being ruled by, what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists, when you start seeing that type of activity against their own citizens, then yes – not only is it time for us to have a conversation about whether or not they belong to be in NATO, but it’s time for the United States, when we look at their foreign aid, to go to zero with it.”

(The administration has requested $5.6 million in foreign assistance for Turkey in fiscal year 2012, the bulk for “stabilization operations and security sector reform” with lesser amounts for counterterrorism, combating weapons of mass destruction and counter-narcotics. According to a State Department note last month, the U.S. has “loaned and granted Turkey more than $7 billion in economic aid and more than $14 billion in military assistance over several years.”)

The comments brought swift protests from the Turkish government.

Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Namik Tan said his country “has for decades been an essential and trusted partner of the U.S.”

“Its democratic standards, its economic strength, and its secular nature make Turkey an inspiration at a time when the Middle East and North Africa are undergoing a major transformation.”

A foreign ministry spokesman in Ankara said those aspiring for positions such as the U.S. presidency should be “more knowledgeable about the world.” He highlighted Turkey’s role in NATO and in “the fight against terrorism,” noting that it co-chairs the Obama administration’s Global Counterterrorism Forum initiative.

“Our leaders are respected political figures whose opinions are highly valued not only in the U.S. but also in our region and throughout the world,” the spokesman added.

The Turkish Coalition of America, citing Turkey’s support for U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, urged Perry to “apologize for his divisive and uneducated remarks.”

‘Enablers and sponsors of terrorism’

Perry Tuesday night defended his comments. “The idea that Erdogan’s regime has somehow or other earned our respect is not correct,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Critics of the Erdogan government – in power since 2002 – see much to be concerned about.

Press freedom groups accuse the government of using the legal system to silence dissenting voices in the media, with journalists facing trial on state security, defamation and anti-terror charges. The European Union says Turkey’s press law is “used to restrict freedom of expression.”

Turkey has been steadily dropping down the “world press freedom index” compiled annually by the Reporters Without Borders watchdog – from 98th place in 2005 to 138th (out of 178 countries) in the most recent evaluation.

For a country whose democratic credentials are frequently touted, Turkey offers sobering statistics regarding the treatment of women.

Last year Turkey’s justice minister, responding to questions in parliament, revealed that the murder rate of women in Turkey had increased by 1,400 percent between 2002 and 2009, the most recent year for which figures were available. Most of the women were killed by their husbands.

A 2009 survey by a leading Turkish university, cited in a Human Rights Watch report last year, found that four in ten Turkish women older than 15 have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of husband or partner.

Also of concern to observers are foreign policy stances that include hostility towards Israel, support for Hamas (Erdogan disputes that it is a terrorist group; the U.S. has designated Hamas a “foreign terrorist organization” since 1997), and a relationship with Iran viewed as inappropriately sympathetic for a NATO member.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran in October 2009. (AP Photo)

Just last week, Turkey said it would not comply with U.S. sanctions on Iran.

“Turkey does not feel it is bound by any sanctions taken unilaterally or as a group, other than those imposed by the United Nations,” a foreign ministry spokesman told a press conference after a meeting between Turkey’s foreign minister and senior Iranian officials.

“The Turkish government may not be Islamist terrorists themselves, but they are certainly enablers and sponsors of Islamist terrorism,” American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin told CNSNews.com Tuesday.

“While I would not go so far as Governor Perry, had he simply called Prime Minister Erdogan an enabler for Islamic terrorists, he would be 100 percent correct.”

“Prime Minister Erdogan has personally endorsed an al-Qaeda financier while his adviser, Cuneyt Zapsu, has donated money to the same man,” Rubin said. “The Turkish leadership has also embraced Hezbollah, and sought to supply Hamas. When Sudan’s Islamist dictator Omar al-Bashir was indicted on genocide charges for the massacres in Darfur, it was Erdogan who absolved him.”

“Is Turkey a good NATO ally?” continued Rubin. “The head of Turkish intelligence is unabashedly pro-Iran.  Turkey has held air force war games with China without first alerting either the Pentagon or NATO. In recent months, Turkey has threatened to start a war not only with Israel, but also with Cyprus.”

As far as Turkey’s contribution to the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan goes, Rubin pointed to the lesser-known involvement of Turks on the enemy side in that conflict, referring to the al-Qaeda- and Taliban-allied Turkish jihadist group, Taifetul Mansura (“Victorious Sect”).

“Let’s remember that nearly as many Turks fight for al-Qaeda as part of Taifetul Mansura as work in ISAF,” he said.

As for the State Department’s response, Rubin said, “Diplomats are trained to smell dog excrement and describe it as bearing the odor of roses. What is clear is that Turkey can only coast on its past deeds for so long; a decade of Turkish malfeasance is catching up with it.”

Debate moderator Bret Baier’s question and Gov. Perry’s full response follow:

BAIER: Governor Perry, since the Islamist-oriented party took over in Turkey, the murder rate of women has increased 1,400 percent there. Press freedom has declined to the level of Russia. The prime minister of Turkey has embraced Hamas, and Turkey has threatened military force against both Israel and Cyprus. Given Turkey’s turn, do you believe Turkey still belongs in NATO?

PERRY: Well, obviously when you have a country that is being ruled by, what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists, when you start seeing that type of activity against their own citizens, then yes – not only is it time for us to have a conversation about whether or not they belong to be in NATO, but it’s time for the United States, when we look at their foreign aid, to go to zero with it. And you go to zero with foreign aid for all of those countries. And it doesn’t make any difference who they are. You go to zero with that foreign aid and then you have the conversation about, do they have America’s best interest in mind? And when you have countries like Turkey that are moving far away from the country that I lived in back in the 1970s as a pilot in the United States Air Force that was our ally, that worked with us, but today we don’t see that.

Our – our – our president, has a foreign policy that makes our allies very nervous and emboldens our enemies. And we have to have a president of the United States that clearly sends the message, whether it’s to Israel, our friend and there should be no space between the United States and Israel, period.  And we need to send a powerful message to countries like Iran, and Syria and Turkey that the United States is serious and that we’re going to have to be dealt with.