Friday, September 17, 2010

Turkey’s Islamization: One Step Closer


Ryan Mauro

The referendum proposed by Turkey’s government has been passed with 58 percent of the population approving it in a vote with 77.5 percent turnout. The Obama Administration is praising the 26 amendments that bring Turkey in a more democratic direction but undermine the military and judiciary that protect the country’s secularism. The State Department may not realize it, but it has congratulated Prime Minister Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) on paving the way for the further Islamization of Turkey. After the results came in, the State Department spoke in favor of the referendum. “We hope that through these reforms, it will further enhance Turkey’s democratic processes and human rights protection…. This was a choice for the Turkish people, and there was a very strong, decisive vote to move towards greater civilian oversight of these democratic institutions,” a State Department spokesman said. Iran also hailed the referendum.

Erdogan framed the reforms as necessary for Turkey to become a member of the European Union and establish itself as a democracy. Unfortunately, democratization also benefits the AKP and its Islamist agenda. Civilian courts will now have power over the High Military Council and military courts cannot be used to try civilians, but civilian courts can try military officers. This is a way of reducing the political power of the military that has safeguarded Turkey’s secularism.

The referendum also permits the parliament to select who sits on the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges. Previously, the judiciary was independent, choosing its own leadership free of political influence. This is particularly concerning because the AKP holds a majority in the parliament, allowing the party to oversee the judiciary without any significant checks and balances. The second most powerful party, the secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP), controls less than one-third of the parliament.

A new constitution can now be written because of the referendum. The AKP has not discussed any link between Shariah law and the new constitution they are preparing, but with a huge majority in parliament, the AKP can fully actualize its agenda. Luckily, the AKP says the new constitution will not be proposed until after the next general elections in July 2011.

Erdogan and the AKP have been hard at work at Islamizing Turkey and promoting anti-American and especially anti-Israeli sentiment. One of their biggest adversaries is the military. The referendum takes away the immunity granted to the military officers involved in the coup of 1980, although some say the statute of limitations prohibits their prosecution. The prosecutor’s office is working on a report on its conclusions about whether prosecution is permissible.

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