"Death of Secularism in Turkey?
Dr. Alamgir Hussain
October 12, 2007
Turkey’s ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) nomination of foreign minister Abdullah Gul to country’s presidency to replace a secular incumbent in April set off a political standoff with the secular military. The staunchly secular army, apprehensive that Mr. Gul’s election may undermine Turkey’s secular and democratic principles, issued a veiled threat of coup. Their concern lies in Mr. Gul’s public display of piety and his wife’s donning headscarf. The same applies to Gul’s more religious boss, Prime Minister (PM) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his wife. Worried secular citizens, including women, the likely worst victim of Islamization of Turkey, also took to the street in large number protesting Mr. Gul’s election, with one rally attracting about 1.5 million protesters. Confronted by these events, the incumbent Islamist government called early election, which gave them a resounding new mandate, bagging 47 percent of the votes (surpassing 34 percent in 2002), over secular Republican Party’s 20 percent. This enabled Mr. Gul’s election to Turkey’s presidency on 28th August."
More:American Chronicle: Death of Secularism in Turkey?