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PanARMENIAN.Net
Turks press Erdogan not to run for President
16.04.2007 13:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Some 150,000 people have demonstrated in Turkey's
capital, Ankara, to demand that religion and politics should be kept
separate in their country. Protesters carried banners of Kemal
Ataturk, the revered founder of the Turkish republic as a secular
state. The rally comes two days before the presidential election
process begins and is intended to pressure current PM Recep Tayyip
Erdogan not to stand.
His opponents accuse him of having an Islamic agenda - a charge he
denies. Tens of thousands of people were bussed into Ankara from
across Turkey to attend the rally near Ataturk's mausoleum. The area
was packed with people, many of them draped in the red-and-white
national flag and chanting anti-Islamic slogans.
"Turkey is secular and will remain secular forever," they shouted. "I
feel a little scared about the developments. I would not like to have
an Islamic regime in Turkey," one demonstrator said. "I would like to
protect the secular system. That's why I am here. Especially as a
female, this is very important for me." For many Turks, maintaining
the strict divide between religion and politics is key to keeping
mainly Muslim Turkey a moderate, modern republic.
There has been increasing speculation that Mr Erdogan's ruling Justice
and Development Party, which has its roots in political Islam, will
nominate him as its candidate to replace the current President, Ahmet
Necdet Sezer, who steps down in May. If nominated, he would be almost
certain to be elected by parliament, where his party has a healthy
majority. But despite the large turnout at the rally, the secular
establishment, including the army, has no real power to prevent Mr
Erdogan from becoming president. In five years in power, Mr Erdogan's
government has overseen a wide range of democratic reforms. However,
critics point to earlier attempts to criminalize adultery and appoint
an Islamic central banker as signs of things to come.
Mr Sezer warned in a speech on Friday that the threat to Turkey of
Islamic radicalism was stronger than ever. Correspondents say Mr Sezer
has used the post of president, although largely ceremonial, to speak
up for secularism, vetoing laws he deemed in violation of the secular
constitution. Mr Sezer's warning came a day after the influential army
chief said the country needed a committed secularist in the
presidential palace, BBC reports.
Turks press Erdogan not to run for President
16.04.2007 13:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Some 150,000 people have demonstrated in Turkey's
capital, Ankara, to demand that religion and politics should be kept
separate in their country. Protesters carried banners of Kemal
Ataturk, the revered founder of the Turkish republic as a secular
state. The rally comes two days before the presidential election
process begins and is intended to pressure current PM Recep Tayyip
Erdogan not to stand.
His opponents accuse him of having an Islamic agenda - a charge he
denies. Tens of thousands of people were bussed into Ankara from
across Turkey to attend the rally near Ataturk's mausoleum. The area
was packed with people, many of them draped in the red-and-white
national flag and chanting anti-Islamic slogans.
"Turkey is secular and will remain secular forever," they shouted. "I
feel a little scared about the developments. I would not like to have
an Islamic regime in Turkey," one demonstrator said. "I would like to
protect the secular system. That's why I am here. Especially as a
female, this is very important for me." For many Turks, maintaining
the strict divide between religion and politics is key to keeping
mainly Muslim Turkey a moderate, modern republic.
There has been increasing speculation that Mr Erdogan's ruling Justice
and Development Party, which has its roots in political Islam, will
nominate him as its candidate to replace the current President, Ahmet
Necdet Sezer, who steps down in May. If nominated, he would be almost
certain to be elected by parliament, where his party has a healthy
majority. But despite the large turnout at the rally, the secular
establishment, including the army, has no real power to prevent Mr
Erdogan from becoming president. In five years in power, Mr Erdogan's
government has overseen a wide range of democratic reforms. However,
critics point to earlier attempts to criminalize adultery and appoint
an Islamic central banker as signs of things to come.
Mr Sezer warned in a speech on Friday that the threat to Turkey of
Islamic radicalism was stronger than ever. Correspondents say Mr Sezer
has used the post of president, although largely ceremonial, to speak
up for secularism, vetoing laws he deemed in violation of the secular
constitution. Mr Sezer's warning came a day after the influential army
chief said the country needed a committed secularist in the
presidential palace, BBC reports.