Turk Military's wings clipped yet again

[Condor]

Voters in Turkey gave strong backing to a package of changes to the country's military-era constitution.
The changes are aimed at bringing Turkey in line with the European Union, which the government wants to join.
With nearly all votes in the referendum counted, about 58% had voted "Yes" to amending the constitution.
Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the result meant the country had "crossed a historic threshold toward advanced democracy and the supremacy of law".
The opposition argues that the governing party, which has its roots in political Islam, is seeking dangerous levels of control over the judiciary.

The AKP has clashed repeatedly with Turkey's highest courts, which see themselves as guardians of the country's secular values.

The Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, appealed for national unity. "From tomorrow onwards, Turkey needs to unite as one, and look ahead.

Mr Erdogan says the result is a "milestone for democracy"

"The public has the final say in democracies. I would like to remind everyone to welcome the result with respect and maturity."

The present constitution was drawn up by a military junta which seized power in a coup exactly 30 years ago, on 12 September 1980.

In all, the reform package includes 26 amendments to the 1982 constitution, many of them backed by the EU.

Civilian courts will have the power to try military personnel for crimes against the state, while sacked military officers will have the right to appeal against their dismissal.
Gender equality will be strengthened, and discrimination against children, the old and disabled banned.
Workers will be allowed to join more than one union and the ban on politically motivated strikes will be removed.
In parliament, elected lawmakers will be able to stay on if their party is disbanded by the court. _

BBC News - Turkish reform vote gets Western backing

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

its good news for democracy and the Turkish public.....however imho the turkish army with its secular principles was a strong check against the Fundamentalism creeping in from the middle east.... we should hope that the civilian government is just as strong to safeguard Turkish progress.....

 

[Nahraf]

This is good news for Turkey. Turkish armed forces should concentrate on defending the borders instead of interfering in Turkish politics. This clear way for another electrol victory for AKP in next year's elections.

Turkey’s Erdogan ready to make changes after referendum win - The Globe and Mail

http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/00875/OSM15-TURKEY-REF_875801gm-a.jpg
Turkey’s Erdogan ready to make changes after referendum win
Turkey's Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addresses a news conference in Istanbul September 12, 2010. Turkish voters on Sunday approved constitutional reforms that the government says will strengthen the Muslim nation's democracy and help its candidacy for the European Union.

Turkey's Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addresses a news conference in Istanbul September 12, 2010. Turkish voters on Sunday approved constitutional reforms that the government says will strengthen the Muslim nation's democracy and help its candidacy for the European Union. Osman Orsal/Reuters

Victory sets stage for government to name more high-court judges with Islamic leanings
Patrick Martin

From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Sunday, Sep. 12, 2010 8:40PM EDT Last updated on Sunday, Sep. 12, 2010 8:54PM EDT

With a double victory in Sunday’s constitutional referendum, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is poised to make sweeping changes in his officially secular, but predominantly Muslim country.

The package of changes was supported by 58 per cent of the 39 million people who voted, paving the way for the government to appoint a large number of high-court judges more in tune with the government’s Islamic tendencies. It also gives Mr. Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) a leg up on next year’s national elections.

“I hadn’t expected him to win by such a large margin,” said Oktay Eksi, a leading columnist for the popular Hurriyet newspaper. “Based on this result, it makes the next election look easy for him,” he said.

A man casts his vote during a referendum in Ankara on September 12, 2010. Turks voted on whether to adopt highly divisive constitutional changes that would restructure the judiciary and curb army powers, in a major test of confidence in the Islamist-rooted government.

Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images

A man casts his vote during a referendum in Ankara on September 12, 2010. Turks voted on whether to adopt highly divisive constitutional changes that would restructure the judiciary and curb army powers, in a major test of confidence in the Islamist-rooted government.

The AKP ran an impressive campaign. Most aspects of the government’s lengthy set of changes were immensely popular: They reduce the power of military courts over civilians, grant greater protections of human rights, and remove the immunity from prosecution that Turkey’s military coup leaders gave themselves when drafting the constitution in the early 1980s.

The largely secular opposition objected to only two of the 26 points in the package. These two articles will increase the number of judges on the Constitutional Court (the country’s highest court) and give Parliament the largest say in appointing those and other judges.

Taken together, the government can, in short order, usher in a panel of judges that are likely to approve legislation extending religious practices and policies in the country.

In the past, the Constitutional Court struck down legislation that would have given women the right to wear head scarves in public institutions such as universities, and came close in 2008 to ruling the AKP itself as unconstitutional for being religious in nature. (The party is careful to describe itself as supportive of Islam, but not Islamic in nature, which would be a violation of the founding constitution laid down by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923 as he successfully removed all aspects of religion from public life.) Indeed, the AKP has overseen a growth in Turkey’s economy, brought about economic reforms and championed the country’s case for joining the European Union. Nevertheless, Turkey’s secular establishment accuses it of having Islamist goals.

Mr. Eksi, the political columnist, says that Mr. Erdogan could well become what he calls an “elected Sultan.” He describes what he believes are the Prime Minister’s plans to write a whole new constitution – one that establishes a presidential system of government – and to run for president himself in 2012.

A new constitution can be passed by a two-thirds majority of Parliament, Mr. Eksi notes, “something the Prime Minister may well be able to muster” after elections that must be held before July, next year.

In Sunday’s vote, Mr. Erdogan correctly calculated that Turks would embrace the overall reforms and not give as much credence to the opposition’s efforts to paint the reforms as a kind of backdoor Islamic coup. He was able to sell the package of reforms as something necessary if Turkey hopes to join the European Union. Indeed, there was nothing even in the judicial reforms that can’t be found in almost all Western constitutions.

EU officials have expressed approval of much of the reforms package, reportedly saying it is “a step in the right direction.” But while Europe’s reservations about Turkey’s proposed membership in the EU have largely been concerned with matters of human rights, there are many who say privately they also are worried about an overly Islamized Turkey joining their club. They will be waiting to see just what Mr. Erdogan does with his victory.

“We have crossed a historic threshold toward advanced democracy and the supremacy of law,” Mr. Erdogan said in a nationally televised speech at his party headquarters in Istanbul Sunday night.

“Those who said ‘yes’ and those who said ‘no’ are equally winners because advanced democracy is for everybody,” he said.

 

[somebozo]

Pakistan also needs a millitary junta constitution for moving towards democracy and once stable it can implement such regulations.

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

Pakistan also needs a millitary junta constitution for moving towards democracy and once stable it can implement such regulations.

but Pakistan succumbs to international (mostly U.S) pressure too soon....for instance if Musharraf had held on to his general's chair even after becoming president ....Pakistan would have prospered both militarily and economically today....perhaps he could also have used his leverage with "non state" actors to prevent Mumbai......a huge loss for the whole of South Asia i suppose......

 

[A.Muqeet khan]

musharraf was a great leader no doubt even indians accept it as they openly told the mush to settle

india

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

^ that was merely a gesture of courtesy......before mumbai we( India and Pakistan) were well on course to be quite brotherly......

 

[Icarus]

All the trust that had been established between our two nations collapsed after Mumbai, If Musharraf had been in power, I'm pretty sure Pakistan and India would have been much better neighbours then they are now or were ever before.

 

[Nahraf]

This thread is about Turkey. Please do not derail this thread by moving away from topic.

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

This thread is about Turkey. Please do not derail this thread by moving away from topic.

you are right brother sorry for the deviation.....simply got caught up in a bout of nostalgia......regards.....

 

[Icarus]

This thread is about Turkey. Please do not derail this thread by moving away from topic.

My bad, As for turkey.....I think turkey should stop making changes to it's system to bring it in line with EU standards. It is a balanced system, one that has done turkey much good. Any abrupt changes could give birth to negative feelings that may hinder Turkey's prosperity.

 

[Kambojaric]

One thing i might add here. EU will never accept Turkey in my opinion. All this crap about all Europian countries being welcome is just utter nonsense. EU will always be a "christian club"(despite being secular countries) and will always see Turks as muslims so Turkey shouldnt make its policies to please the EU because racists like Sarkozy will always exist within it. Even Bosnia which is not even complete muslim like Turkey is being ignored despite the fact that countries all around it are becoming EU members like Slovenia, Hungary(Croatia soon). Mustafa Ceric mentioned this as well at this years Sebrenica memorial. Also add Albania into this list of rejectees.

 

[BATMAN]

If referendums are accepted as a democratic way in Turkey and Switzerland than why Pakistan referendums were rejected by Common Wealth, UK and US?

 

[avrasya]

One thing i might add here. EU will never accept Turkey in my opinion. All this crap about all Europian countries being welcome is just utter nonsense. EU will always be a "christian club"(despite being secular countries) and will always see Turks as muslims so Turkey shouldnt make its policies to please the EU because racists like Sarkozy will always exist within it. Even Bosnia which is not even complete muslim like Turkey is being ignored despite the fact that countries all around it are becoming EU members like Slovenia, Hungary(Croatia soon). Mustafa Ceric mentioned this as well at this years Sebrenica memorial. Also add Albania into this list of rejectees.

Acceptance of eu is not so important. Important point is we must reach the highest level of democracy freedom of expression. One we reach there we will not need eu anyway.

 

[DYYD]

+1
Turkey's strong with or without EU... And now it's more democratic than ever... Once she becomes true liberal democracy, she won't need EU at all... Main reason that Turkey will not be accepted into EU is the fact that it's too large fo the union... It will have more MPs in EU parliament than the other members... Therefore, predominantly Muslim Turkey will be the decision maker in EU if she's admitted... And France and Germany definitely won't like that... We should just use EU to improve our democratic standars and when they really need us and ask us to join, we'll just give them a middle finger...