You Go, Turkey’s Secularists!
April 29, 2007, 3:09 pm |
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By Andrew L. Jaffee
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, leader of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi, AKP), has been steadily moving Turkey away from its secular roots, planted by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and towards Islamist “ideals.” Thankfully, not all Turks are buying it:
Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in Istanbul in support of secularism in Turkey, amid a row over a vote for the country’s next president. …
[AFP reports: “More than a million Turks rallied here Sunday in support of secular democracy”]
“Turkey is secular and will remain secular,” shouted demonstrators from all over the country as they waved flags and pictures of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.
“We want neither Sharia, nor a coup, but a fully democratic Turkey,” they added.
Many sang nationalist songs and called for the government’s resignation.
Our correspondent describes the rally as an enormous show of force. More than 300,000 people attended a similar event two weeks ago. …
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Categories, Tags: Islam, Turkey, Philosophy / Ideology
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