Word: turkeys
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...Turkey's militant secularists may have lost their battle against the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) at the ballot box, but they're hoping that what the electorate denied them might be granted by the judiciary. To popular disbelief, the country's secularist chief prosecutor has applied to ban the ruling party, reelected last July with 47% of the vote, on the grounds that it is supposedly seeking to destroy secularism. The move comes on the heels of a controversial government move to overturn a ban on wearing headscarves at universities...
...Islamist parties have been banned before in Turkey, where strict secularism is enshrined in as a founding constitutional principle. But this time is different: The AKP is far more popular than any of its predecessors; its landslide victory in the election last year - prompted by a stand-off with the powerful generals rejecting the party's nominee for president - was largely a response to economic boom times, but also a sign that Turks are tired of military interference in politics...
...constitutional court must now vote whether to dismiss or hear the prosecutor's bid to ban the ruling party. In the event of the latter, the AKP has one month to submit a defense and an ensuing case could take several months, losing Turkey much credibility abroad. "The constitutional court should reject the closure demand," wrote Milliyet commentator Hasan Cemal. "Otherwise, Turkey will lose." European governments and the U.S. have criticized...
...there is a lesson to be drawn from this for the AKP, it is that Turkey's political balance is delicate and to enact change requires coalition-builders, not bulldozers - even with 47% of the vote. Erdogan might learn to rein in his famous temper and accomodate critics. For instance, he abandoned a much-needed reform to overhaul the constitution, a leftover from a 1980 military coup, in favor of a one-off amendment to lift the ban on headscarves in universities. "If Erdogan stuck to his original steps, like joining Europe and integrating with the global economy, he wouldn...
...because I am an American. Adherence to rule of law is what makes the U.S. great. Yet by recognizing Kosovo, America has turned a blind eye to the rule of law and has destabilized the globe. This is about Canada and the French-speaking Québécois, Turkey and the Kurds, Spain and the Basques. Boris Tadic - the moderate, pro-Western Serbian President - properly asked, "Who guarantees that parts of your countries will not declare independence in the same way?" We know the answer: no one. Tina Hone, Falls Church, Virginia...