Turkey’s highest court has announced that it will not close down the governing Justice and Development party on charges of undermining the country’s secular system.
Most of the “Don’t dare offend” newspapers in the West offered headlines like the Wall Street Journal: Turkey’s Constitutional Court Votes to Support Government. Which is a lie. A majority of the judges voted against the AK Party.
Six of the court’s 11 judges voted in favour of closing down the party, just one short of the seven required to impose a ban, Hasim Kilic, the head of the constitutional court, said.
But the court, he stressed, was still sending the AK party, a “serious warning” by cutting half of the treasury funds it was entitled to this year…
Fadi Hakura, a Turkish analyst with the London-based Royal Institute of International Affairs, said that the government could face a crisis again if it continued pursuing what he said was their previous agenda of more religion…
Turkey is one of the oldest and strongest secular governments in the Middle East. They have less motivation to march backwards towards theocracy as any kind of solution.
“Turkey is one of the oldest and strongest secular governments in the Middle East.”…
Sorry, but the modern Turkish Govt. is the simple evolution from the old days when although legally allowed, all other religious people but the Muslims were in literal slave status… Turkish Govt. is Muslim based military junta. Just because they are pro-Western in (some) politics doesn’t mean squat… Symbolism means a lot in that part of the world. Now, look at their flag… If not enough, you may remember my previous Turkey-related rantings. Like the bestselling book over there topping the charts for years (they can’t print enough)… Don’t remember? Well it is Main Kampf… Shame on USA for accepting that kind of “allies”.
‘Turkey’s Constitutional Court Votes to Support Government. Which is a lie. A majority of the judges voted against the AK Party’
Well I guess we better tell the newspapers not to write ‘Congress sustains President’s veto’ if the vote is 250-185 in favor of the bill.
#2 – thanks for reminding us all how damned dumb you truly are. Hope you’re working for the McCain/Bush re-election campaign.
Can someone name one of the other “secular” governments in the Middle East?
Anyone?
secular no…. peculiar yes!!! (answer, all of them)
#3, I’m too dumb to understand what you wrote.
I know a fair number of Turkish expats. Most of them are both strongly Islamic, and strongly secular(in terms of desired public policy).
Turkey is headed towards religious based government. This goes against everything Turkey is, and has always, been about. If Turkey goes religious, and Islam is currently as crazy as Christian Fundamentalists, then we should hope that Kurdistan takes some of southern Turkey.
The Kurds have had a history of working with everybody; they’re alright, but their historical leanings toward Persia means no dice until W is gone. The Armenian(now Azeri?) question would also come into play.
Islam is Christianity before the 100 years war. We can’t allow a whole continent(Eurasia) to be at war for the next 50 years until they learn to marginalize religion. Fanatics are a problem until civil government learns to kill them with ruthless efficiency. I’m not prepared to wait until the mid-eastern regimes figure this out.
If Turkey does turn Islamic then it will be another long-term F`up of baby Bush. The re-militarization of the Pacific is the other. Each of these problems will continue to demand American blood-and-treasure long after the Iraq mess has dried up.
Maybe the question is whether Turkey is allowing its culture to survive. In the US, for example, a majority of people are religious to some degree. They want that to show in some manner.
It is only the strong neutrality offered by the Constitution that prevents America from becoming a religious state. Even still, in America we still use religious symbols and traditions in every day life:
> In Court, generally you swear an oath on a bible and / or to god.
> All legislatures have prayers before the start of the session. Many even have resident pastors.
> Churches get special privileges, no taxes or “adult” entertainment within a certain distance.
> Church supported charities get special dispositions for their government support.
> No one freaks out if someone wears a religious symbol in public.
> Religious leaders generally are given special status.
In Turkey even these small concessions are illegal. Yet, religion is still a part of their culture. In my opinion, this is what is causing the pent up religious fervor and leanings. The best solution would be to abolish all religions, but that just ain’t gunna happen.