Hundreds of Thousands Protest Islamist Gains in Turkey’s Presidential Elections
April 30, 2007 | Printer Friendly

The Washington Post is reporting that around 700,000 people staged a massive protest in Turkey in the wake of the first round elections that experts believe will put “an observant Muslim as president,” intensifying conflict between the “religiously oriented ruling party” and the “deeply secular military and civilian establishment.”  Turkey has been a secular republic since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, but has had Islamic movements at grass-roots levels.  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reports that the number of protesters was closer to 1 million. 

According to the International Herald Tribune, Saturday’s election suggests that Abdullah Gul will become the next president of Turkey, succeeding current President Ahmet Nacdet Sezer, who will step down on May 16th.  The Washington Post reports that many Turks fear Gul will use the powers of the presidency to assist the current Prime Minister and fellow Islamist Recep Tayyip Erdogan “in chipping away at the separation of state and religion.”  Despite these accusations, the International Herald Tribune says that Gul has “promised to uphold the country’s secular traditions.”

The Turkish electoral system chooses a president through a parliamentary vote, allowing for three rounds of voting.  To win the presidency in the first two rounds, a candidate must receive 367 of the 550 votes.  If voting reaches a third round, a candidate needs to secure a majority of 267 votes.  The International Herald Tribune reports that opposition parties boycotted the first round of voting to block Gul’s victory, but the ruling party believes that Gul “would prevail by the end of the voting process…”  The second round vote is planned for May 2nd, but according to RFE/RL the opposition party has appealed to the Constitutional Court to “cancel the presidential election,” due to their boycott of Saturday’s vote.   The court is expected to make a decision on May 1st.

According to the Washington Post, “the (Turkish) military hinted that it might step in to resolve the deadlock over Gul in parliament.”  The military released a statement following the election, naming itself “the absolute defender of secularism.”  The government has rebuked the military saying that “it was unthinkable for the institution to challenge its political leaders in a democracy.”  RFE/RL reports that the European Union has “sided with the government,” and called on the military to “stay out of politics.”  The EU has called the showdown “a test case for secular democracy in Turkey,” referring to the country’s ambitions to join the regional body. 

Sources:

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Turkey: Islam, Secularism Clash In Presidential Elections

International Herald Tribune: Turkish lawmakers choosing president in disputed election process

Washington Post: Turkish Election a Struggle Over Identity