Dec 23, 2024
Dec 23, 2024
More than a million Turks chanting "Turkey is secular and will remain secular", "Neither Sharia, nor coup d'etat, democratic Turkey" and "No imams in the presidential palace," demonstrated in Istanbul on 29 April after the first failed attempt on 26 April to get Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul elevated to the Presidential Palace by the ruling Islamic- rooted Justice and Development party (AKP). In an statement later Turkey's powerful secular Armed forces declared that they would safe guard secular Turkey. Two weeks earlier half a million Turks had protested in Ankara after Gul's nomination.
This piece was written before Turkish PM Erdogan addressed the nation last night and lauded economic stability, growth of 7.3% between 2003 and 2006, and doubling of per capita annual income to $5,477 ('2,738) during his government. As expected he refused to withdraw the candidacy of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. So we now have hard rock against a harder rock and the situation is pregnant with all possibilities . Hopefully the Constitutional Court will declare the first round of polls invalid, opening the way for early elections and rethinking on everyone's part. I for one am with the Pashas. While the Algerian Salvation front which had won elections in 1992 was foolish by announcing no more elections and were banned leading to rounds of violence, still smoldering, in which almost 200,000 people have been killed so far, the AKP leadership is smart. Unfortunately Turkish media is owned by business houses who expect government favors and advertisements. In the volatile middle east, Turkey is the only beacon of stability (unless you count fossilized Islamic Saudi Arabia). So what happens if Turkey goes wobbly? Violence extends to the Gulf with millions of Indians. |
30-Apr-2007
More by : K. Gajendra Singh