The Turkish Constitutional Court’s verdict of not banning the ruling AK Party (Justice and Development Party) by a close decision of 7 to 4 judges is regarded as an important decision in the ongoing politics of Turkey on charges of “becoming focal point of anti-secular activities”. Where it stands a political success for the party there it serves a warning to the party leadership not to work against the principles of secularism the modern Turkey is based on.
Secularism is one of the six principles of Kemalism propounded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in his manifesto published on 20th April 1931, and incorporated in the 1924 Constitution by an amendment in the same year. The adoption of the principles was considered as the guideline of the People’s Republican Party founded by Atatürk in 1928. The six principles were secularism, republicanism, populism, nationalism, etatism and revolutionism. The secularity of Turkey was protected by three military coups in 1960, 1971, and 1980, banning of a number of political parties/groups and their leaders, and the sacking of a civilian government in 1997.
The AKP is a popular political party having been elected with a landslide victory in 2002 and 2007 general elections for the 550-member Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), a unicameral powerful legislature. The party, which enjoys considerable public support in the state, is blamed by anti-secular circles for violating the foundations of the republic, which are built highly on secular lines of Kemalism.
AKP derives most of its strength from the Fazilat Party, an Islamist political party, which emerged on the political map of Turkey after its predecessor, the Rafah Party with brilliant political and leadership record except for the fact that they were Islamic moderates. The Rafah Party founded by Nacibbudin Erbakan, a right wing Islamist Party, was edged out of power by the Supreme National Security Council in June 1997 for being too Islamic minded. Necibudin Erbakan himself was disqualified and debarred from politics along with a number of other party MPs. The party during the two years of its existence showed brilliance in political and economic development. Its foreign policy dimensions were liked in public with support for Turkey’s membership in EU and least dependence on the US. Fazilat Party was born out of Rafah under the leadership of Tayyip Erdogan with massive support among masses not only due to its right wing ideology, but also due to its adherence to the promotion of development work at the micro- and macro- level, while being the mayor of Istanbul. Erdogan is the mentor of AKP and serves a role model for party leadership. His leadership as the Mayor and Prime Minister is marked by extreme honesty and welfare. AKP was born out of the Fazilat Party when banned in 2000 under the Paragraph 6 of u the Article 69 of the 1981 Constitution by the Constitutional Court.
The Constitutional Court, actually established under the 1961 Constitution, comprises 15 members (11 regular and 4 substitute; at present 11) is the final court of appeal in constitutional and political matters. The Court is in practice since 28 August. 1962. It exercises a number of powers regarding the political and constitutional matters, particularly the banning of a political leader or group. It works independently of executive.
The AKP enjoys massive popularity. It controls more than 75% of the local bodies institutions in Turkey which being in practice since 1890 are important tools of serving micro level democracy. It has controlled inflation, restructured Turkish foreign policy and boosted trade and industrialization. Its vote bank comes from all sections of population largely due to the better performance and transparency in office. In 78 years since 1924 and the first time in twenty years since the introduction of the 1981 Constitution a party has won more a clear majority in the 550-seat Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) to form a coalition free government under a stable two-party role in legislature. And it controls Presidency. Abdullah Gul was elected on the party ticket as the eleventh President of the Republic, an important institution and indirect support for AKP. Important appointments in Turkey such as Chief of Army Staff, the members of the Constitutional Court, Rectors of the public Universities etc. are finally approved by the President.
Turkish citizenry is in large a participant one with regular voting for local bodies and national legislature with strict Nefus (identity card) system under which there cannot be any rigging of election at polling stations. Results are declared at polling station level with each one accumulated towards overall result of the Constituency. The roots of democratic setup has been strengthened without direct military interference since 1984. Military built on strict secular lines is believed to be the custodian of secularlism, but it realizes the cost-benefits of the present scenario where Turkey with political and economic development and possible candidacy for EU will suffer from interference, particularly when a party in power enjoys common man trust and support. Public don’t want army as catalyst for change.
The ruling where serves as a triumph for AKP for its popularity and support for politico-economic development, there it notices an alert for the leadership to be cautious by not interfering with the secular foundations of the republic.
The writer served as visiting professor at Istanbul University 1998 to 2001.
