Ataturk's republic may stop existing
Analysts call the probable election of Abdullah Gul as the president of the country a step which may do a serious harm to Turkey on the country's way to EU.
The Presidential elections which for Justice and Development party seemed easy to win, may lead to crisis in the country. The Turkish General Staff, which is rather experienced in removing candidates it has no need in, also got involved in the issue. The Turkish Army realized military overturns three times in 1960, 1971 and 1980.
Besides, in 1997, under some military pressure the head of the government, the Islamists' leader, the founder of the Justice and Development party and Abdullah Gül's "godfather" Necmettin Erbakan, was removed. The truth is that later their ways parted, when Gül leaded a riot against Erbakan after the latter's party was deprived of power by the militants in 1997.
Act of secular system and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's constitution protection is the second one which has been organized over the last several days. According to different information over one million people participated in it. On April 14, in Ankara there was a similar manifestation, where again according to different sources from about 500.000 to one million people took part. Slogans like "The Republic is in danger!", "Stand for the secular system!" were displayed during the manifestation.
After the first stage of elections, when pessimistically l needed 10 more votes, the army supervision announced that it is concerned about the situation regarding the presidential elections, and warned that the armed forces are the guarantee of Turkey's secular system. To be elected the president, a candidate needs to have 367 votes out of 550.
According to Turkish Constitution to win in the first and in the second stages of elections it is necessary for a candidate to secure the constitutional majority. The opposition immediately demanded to cancel the results of the voting taking the question to the Constitutional Court. The verdict of the Constitutional Court must be reached by May 2, when the second stage of the elections is planned to be held. The Turkish analysts are disposed towards Gul's opportunities to influence the president's position rather pessimistically. Analysts call the probable election of Abdullah Gul as the president of the country a step which may do a serious harm to Turkey on the country's way to EU.
The modern Turkish Republic was established on the basis of secularism and all the presidents of the country have respected country's secular values. If Abdullah Gul is elected, he will become the first Turkish leader, representing a party which is based on Islamic ideologies, and he will become the first president whose wife wears yashmak. It should be mentioned that the Turkish president, in fact, has less power, than the Prime-Minister.
However the presidential institution in Turkey, where the first president was the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, carries a very significant symbolic meaning for the people of the country. The president has limited constitutional rights, including the right of veto. Ahmet Sezer, leaving the post of the president, has used his right on veto several times to ban some bills suggested by the ruling party.
In the observers' opinion Abdullah Gul is highly respected both in and outside the country, and he has never been accused of bribery. He is an economist by profession and a diplomat by his character. His candidacy doesn't evoke as many objections among the secular parties as the image of the Prime-Minster itself. Besides, no one in Turkey would like to have a president who has been sent to prison for preaching Islamic poems. R. Erdoghan was elected deputy after amendments in legislation, which in its time didn't give him any benefits. However, Gul has always been standing closer to the traditional Turkish political Islam, than Erdoghan. There are all the reasons to think that the selection of the Turkish Foreign Minister's candidacy was a victory for the conservative-Islamic wing of the party. Member of Islamic ruling party, R. Erdoghan's best friend Gul announces that he doesn't have any intentions to give up the fight for obtaining the post of the country's president. He offers a number of reforms in the legislative system of the country and assures, that he will continue following the course of Eurointegration: "I am not going to give up the fight. I believe the disorders in the country are organized. We will continue following the course of reforms."
Act of secular system and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's constitution protection is the second one which has been organized over the last several days. According to different information over one million people participated in it. On April 14, in Ankara there was a similar manifestation, where again according to different sources from about 500.000 to one million people took part. Slogans like "The Republic is in danger!", "Stand for the secular system!" were displayed during the manifestation.
After the first stage of elections, when pessimistically l needed 10 more votes, the army supervision announced that it is concerned about the situation regarding the presidential elections, and warned that the armed forces are the guarantee of Turkey's secular system. To be elected the president, a candidate needs to have 367 votes out of 550.
According to Turkish Constitution to win in the first and in the second stages of elections it is necessary for a candidate to secure the constitutional majority. The opposition immediately demanded to cancel the results of the voting taking the question to the Constitutional Court. The verdict of the Constitutional Court must be reached by May 2, when the second stage of the elections is planned to be held. The Turkish analysts are disposed towards Gul's opportunities to influence the president's position rather pessimistically. Analysts call the probable election of Abdullah Gul as the president of the country a step which may do a serious harm to Turkey on the country's way to EU.
The modern Turkish Republic was established on the basis of secularism and all the presidents of the country have respected country's secular values. If Abdullah Gul is elected, he will become the first Turkish leader, representing a party which is based on Islamic ideologies, and he will become the first president whose wife wears yashmak. It should be mentioned that the Turkish president, in fact, has less power, than the Prime-Minister.
However the presidential institution in Turkey, where the first president was the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, carries a very significant symbolic meaning for the people of the country. The president has limited constitutional rights, including the right of veto. Ahmet Sezer, leaving the post of the president, has used his right on veto several times to ban some bills suggested by the ruling party.
In the observers' opinion Abdullah Gul is highly respected both in and outside the country, and he has never been accused of bribery. He is an economist by profession and a diplomat by his character. His candidacy doesn't evoke as many objections among the secular parties as the image of the Prime-Minster itself. Besides, no one in Turkey would like to have a president who has been sent to prison for preaching Islamic poems. R. Erdoghan was elected deputy after amendments in legislation, which in its time didn't give him any benefits. However, Gul has always been standing closer to the traditional Turkish political Islam, than Erdoghan. There are all the reasons to think that the selection of the Turkish Foreign Minister's candidacy was a victory for the conservative-Islamic wing of the party. Member of Islamic ruling party, R. Erdoghan's best friend Gul announces that he doesn't have any intentions to give up the fight for obtaining the post of the country's president. He offers a number of reforms in the legislative system of the country and assures, that he will continue following the course of Eurointegration: "I am not going to give up the fight. I believe the disorders in the country are organized. We will continue following the course of reforms."
