Backstrokes

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) is the current party in power led by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey is a secular nation. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as a I have mentioned before founded this country with staunch secular principles, but with recent events it is evident that things are changing.
Another fundamental in the make up of the Republic of Turkey is that if the government expresses too much power and magnetizes towards a theocratic government, then it is the job of the military to overthrow the party.

Well.
The AKP has some unsubtle Islamic leaning tendencies.

- There was a headscarf ban in public spaces, including schools and universities (public and private), courts of law, government offices and other official institutions, which was implemented in 1984. This ban was lifted by the AKP in 2008 though I think it was later annulled they are still informally permitted. Symbolically, Erdogan's wife and two daughters wear the headveil.

- In September of 2010, a constitutional amendment was passed that gave the ability of civilian courts to convict members of the military. This was an obvious direct hit to Ergenekon (an alleged clandestine, Kemalist ultra-nationalist organization in Turkey with possible ties to members of the country's military and security forces).

AKP is a very power party. They won this summer's elections with a landslide victory. They have the support of many of the lower class, uneducated, village people because they follow up on their monetary promises.


A friend was telling me about his friend's father's business located on the outskirts of the capital city of Ankara. This business has a few thousand blue collar workers and AK Party members said to the father (boss) that if that district doesn't vote for them then that company will be done for. Shut down. Goodbye. So this man (who would never vote for AKP) ended up giving his vote to the party and made sure his workers did the same. That's the way it works.


The state of Turkey is now polarized in women who veil and those who don't. I must admit I judge someone harshly who chooses to veil because in all honesty, a woman who wears a headveil is presenting a political identity, not spiritual obedience.

A couple days ago, a four top military commanders resigned.
The defenders of secularism - quit.
Papers say they this in protest to the trials against members of the military that have alleged ties with Ergenekon.

My thoughts: I am worried about the future of Turkey. The exaggerating pessimist in me likens 2011 Turkey to 1979 Iran.


http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/insidestory/2011/07/201173194112483174.html