Turkey's democratic revolution
By Carol Malouf
Many opponents of the ruling AKP fear that the secular nature of the state is under threat.
Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture for 2010. A cosmopolitan city, it is where east and west meet geographically, archeologically and socially.
In the past few weeks, Istiklal Cadessi, the main pedestrian street in the famous Taksim district has witnessed a gay rights demonstration, a jazz festival, an international folkloric dance and costume parade and a demonstration by an Islamic movement supporting Uighur rights in China; a true example of the amalgam that makes up the Turkish social fabric. Something many in Istanbul consider to be under threat.
Besides the vibrant social scene, a wave of political change taking place in Turkey is causing fear among opponents of the ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP), mainly regarding the secular future of the state.
While the ruling party refers to the proposed constitutional amendments as an 'EU reform package,' critics fear that this is a move by the AKP to Islamise the country.
There are also concerns that the Islamic leaning AKP is using the European constitutional reform recommendations as an excuse to bring the military and judiciary - known to be the custodians of the secular state - under its control to pursue its Islamic agenda.
In 2008, the AKP narrowly escaped a ban by the constitutional court for allegedly undermining the secular state. The same court, in the same year, revoked an amendment by the AKP dominated parliament allowing women to wear headscarves to public universities.
According Omer Faruk Kaleyci, the AKP's deputy chairman of foreign affairs, this is the first time since the 1982 constitution that the Turkish parliament is undertaking such reforms.
He says that the AKP "understand the fears of the opposition. This is something new to the people. No one has challenged the current system before".
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