Turks Court Disaster

Turkey's constitutional court opens a case today that will have momentous, and possibly disastrous, consequences not only for Turkey but also for much of the Muslim world (see page 34). It is a case that could end Turkish hopes of joining the European Union for ever and transform one of the West's most vibrant strategic allies into a feuding and embittered society, torn between military repression and Islamic fervour.

For what the court is attempting to decide is whether Islam is compatible with secular democracy. If it rules that the present Islamist Government has undermined Atatürk's constitution, it will declare the entire ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party illegal and order the dissolution of one of Turkey's most popular and successful governments. If that should happen, Islamist parties throughout the Muslim world may turn their backs on democracy, arguing that, since secularists will never accept them, they should ignore the democratic process and seize power.

Few court cases have been more political or less justified. When the chief prosecutor opens proceedings today with the accusation that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister, is seeking to transform Turkey into an Islamic state, most Turks will hear the voice of the powerful and resentful armed forces. The Army, which sees itself as the guardian of secularism, has never accepted either Mr Erdogan or his party. Four times in the past 50 years it has staged a coup, coming close last year to doing so again over the the Prime Minister's proposal to name a prominent Islamist as the next president. The wily Mr Erdogan, however, called a snap election, came back with an increased majority, installed Abdullah Gül as President and implicitly challenged the military to defy popular opinion and overthrow him.

It is amazing how reporting can be - and they don’t even have a clue.

First let’s start with the title: “Turks court disaster” implying if the court rules for the secularist it is a disaster. The other possible outcome must therefore be a success, i.e. becoming a jihady nation?

Then we see a line like “most Turks will hear the voice of the powerful and resentful armed forces.” First, just what are the armed forces resentful about? Do they resent their nation being turned into a 7th century society perhaps? No - there is no obvious bias in that proposition either.

Then the author goes on to say “Four times in the past 50 years it has staged a coup.” So that means the Army has always eventually re-established civilian rule after each of these coups. Now granted - military dictorships aren’t a great thing either, but the military in Turkey seems to try and steer a corrective course if history is to be a guide. The author didn’t let that detail stop him though.

The author implies earlier in the article that “islamist parties throughout the Muslim world may turn their backs on democracy, arguing that, since secularists will never accept them, they should ignore the democratic process and seize power.” Seems to me they are just using the democratic process as a convenient way to take over the government without firing a shot. See Hitler taking over the German government as a proof of concept.

Just a GREAT article.

Thank you, Steve, and ditto. The army actually holds the power to keep Turkey secular, thank you, and the AK was just ruled against a few weeks ago because they are TRYING to make Turkey a Jihadi Nation instead of the secular and well-ordered country Ataturk envisioned.

Why would the EU want a Jihadi nation, one might ask? They should be celebrating. Have they looked at a MAP lately? Turkey is pretty close to Europe.

Stupid, stupid, ignorant article.

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