euro|topics - Court ruling in Turkey

Main focus of Thursday, July 31, 2008

Court ruling in Turkey

The Turkish constitutional court has decided not to ban the ruling AKP party. The decision was close: six of eleven judges voted in favour, whereas seven were necessary to effect the ban. The Islam-oriented party of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has nevertheless been deprived of half of its state support. The European press discusses the significance of the judgement for Turkey and Europe.

The Times - United Kingdom

The Times finds the result of the trial aimed at banning the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party, or AKP, "a notable victory for a popular and capable government, an important judgment on the role of Islam in a modern, secular state and a triumph for Turkish democracy. ... The ruling ends months of uncertainty. Reaction was swift. The stock exchange rose sharply, and the currency gained 2 per cent. ... The European Union expressed relief that the threatened closure, seen as anti-democratic, had been averted and that Turkish negotiations on EU accession would not therefore be affected. Only the powerful and surly military establishment, long seen as the driving force in the attempt to oust AK from power, remained ominously silent. ... The outcome, however, is hugely important in calming the febrile political atmosphere, reassuring outside investors and underlining the democratic principle in Turkey. Its implications go far wider. It will show moderate Islamists in other countries that Islam is compatible with democracy, and that they should and can work within a secular legal framework to achieve their spiritual ends. That is a message of vital and beneficial significance across the Muslim world. (31/07/2008)

Die Presse - Austria

The daily Die Presse welcomes the decision by Turkey's constitutional court not to ban the AKP party: "It was a close decision, but also the right one. Following the ruling, Turkey's ruling party the AKP is now free to continue its balancing act between Islam and Western reform. The judges have not blocked the loophole for the emergence of a modern Turkey. ... It is to be hoped that in the future Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ... will desist from any attempt to strengthen religion. Turkey can only be successful if it maintains its secular outlook. But if the judges had banned the AKP, the country would have been plunged into a crisis - a crisis whose outcome would have been unforeseeable. Such a ban would have led to the radicalisation of the [country's] politics. It would have strengthened the dubious military and all the backward-looking nationalist forces along with it. And this would have cast Islam in the role of the martyr." (31/07/2008)

Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany

After the decision by the Turkish constitutional court, the Frankfurter Rundschau calls on Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan to change his policy. "The Turkish prime minister knows he cannot simply return to politics as usual. And that counts doubly for his religious agenda. This received practically his undivided attention last year after his triumphant reelection in July 2007 apparently went to his head. ... Erdoğan never took seriously the fears of many Western-oriented Turks of a growing Islamicisation of the country, despite all his assertions that he wanted to be the 'prime minister of all Turks'. He still does not know how to listen to his critics or include them in his plans. The Turkish prime minister should get back to reversing the considerable democratic deficit in his country instead of acting solely in the interests of devout Muslims. Religious freedoms and civil rights must be guaranteed for all Turks, including Christians and Kurds. Otherwise the country's European prospects will come to nothing." (31/07/2008)

La Repubblica - Italy

In the wake of the judgement by the Turkish constitutional court, the daily La Repubblica writes that the Turkish government has a lot of work to do. Despite the positive side of the judgement, "which dispels the climate of uncertainty, Erdoğan is clear that Turkey has lost precious time, above all concerning the attempt to enter the EU which it started in 2005. The reaction of the leaders in Brussels is positive, and the judgement will allow Ankara to maintain its course. Eight of the 35 chapters necessary for entering the EU are already on the negotiating table, and France wants to include two more before the end of its presidency. Turkey is breathing a sigh of relief." (31/07/2008)

» To the complete press review of Thursday, July 31, 2008

Bookmark this page at