Turkey has shown to the world that Muslims and Non-Muslims can live together and embrace peace, freedom and democracy.

I got curious enough to look up what it really means. It looks like teaching people the true meaning of Jihad can't hurt to weaken its politically charged meaning. The number one definition in Meriam-Webster is a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty Reading this national geographic article from 2003, that seems incorrect. Yet in the West that is the main or only interpretation nowadays.

But indeed, nothing to do with patriotism.

Jihad literally means "to strive for". A parent working 80 hours a week so their children can live without worry is jihad. An institution creating soup kitchens and feeding the poor is jihad. There are millions of examples of Jihad.

Unfortunately, the only section of it that is in focus by anyone is the "fighting for the defense of your neighbors" example. And by the looks of it, Turkey is going to follow in these steps as well. They're not teaching the true meaning of Jihad, rather, they're teaching and focusing on an extremely minute example of Jihad.

I'm talking about when Turkey was on the verge of joinging the EU before Erdogan got an iron clad Islamist grip on the country. Joining the EU before he starting ruinging the place may have helped secure its moderate secular foundations. But no too many EU countries were shit scared of a "Muslim" country being inside the circle, when it was actually a secular country with a majority Muslim (and modetrate) population. It's too late now.

Honestly, I'm happy that Turkey didn't join the EU yet ... 

Erdogan isn't the problem, Turkey just doesn't have strong enough institutions to ward off the instability that comes with it like how the United States or the United Kingdom does by picking Trump or choosing to secede from the EU ... 

According to who? Because from what I have heard, Turkey was a long way from the EU with or without Erdogan. You have to keep in mind that Turkey isn't even a primarly European country, and bringing it into the union could open up security issues (proximity to the ME). So no, it is not the EU's fault for what has happened. And how would bringing Turkey into the EU change things that much? The electorate wanted Erdogan, and this is what they get.

Both words mean being devoted to your country. The difference is in how you express it. I don't see how this is so hard to grasp. I'm running out of analogies.

Patriotism is inviting people over to show them how awesome your country is.

Nationalism is keeping people away because your country is too awesome to be stepped on by them.

The meaning is defined by how a person acts on his pride.

this is horrible news, I have a feeling that if this keeps building up in Turkey, there's gonna be another coup or a civil war at worst

it's not a coincidence that they are investing primarily in military, and they won't join the EU, not with their current political status anyway and still, they don't wonna give up on the illegally occupied EU ground in Cyprus, which they've been holding for the last 43 years

seems to me that a big part the population has moved forward towards being Westernized in lifestyle, but it seems that there is also a significant number of Turks who are still living in the long past, and there's nothing wrong with nationalism and partiotism, most people love their countries, but there is a difference between loving your country and hating every other country

Islam is a very peaceful religion, hopefully this is what Erdogan wants to teach in schools, and not this:

That's context, it doesn't change the definition ... 

So you never cheered or rooted for any atlethe during the Olympics?