"Istanbul" "If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul." - Alphonse de Lamartine Turkey is seeing a battle rage for it's soul, and Istanbul is where all the players, ideals, and cultures involved converge and clash. These images are from this great metropolis where East and West meet. The parliamentary election in July 2007 was viewed by many as a crucial point in the country's history that pinned the nation's long-standing traditional secularism against what some believed was the covert desire of the main party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by Prime Minister Erdogan, to bring forth an Islamic form of government. "Istanbul - Blue Mosque Visitors" Two women from the Ukraine visit the Blue Mosque. Women visitors to the mosque are required to wear head scarves provided by the mosque. Muslim head scarves became a central issue in the election.