TURKEY REMAINS AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY, IN SPITE OF ATATURK’S LEGACY

PanARMENIAN.Net
Analytical Department
11.09.2007 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ This will first of all refer to the decision of
the Supreme Military Council of Turkey, which annually realizes
"cleaning ups" of the armed forces from those who are in any way
engaged in cleric activities. These decisions are now considered
final and are not subject to any appeal in the court. In the draft
of the new Constitution the right of those fired from the army for
this very reason to appeal such decision in the court is anticipated.

Along with this, essential restrictions of the power of the
President of the country are anticipated. The possible influence of
the Presidential institute on manpower policy gives rise to anxiety
among the opposition. At present stage all the key appointments in the
Ministries and other government institutions made by the government
needs to be additionally confirmed by the Head of State. In the draft
of the new Constitution such privileges for the Head of State will
remain only in regard to appointing Ambassadors and Governors.

Moreover, the much-spoken Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code
may be omitted in the new Constitution.

One of the Articles of the draft of the Constitution, which has already
been worked on, requires that the Constitutional Court cancel laws
contradicting international agreements, signed by Turkey. According
to one of the authors of the draft of the new Constitution, Professor
Ergun Ozbudun, the new edition will contain the Article 90, which will
be reviewed to ensure the supremacy of the international agreements,
signed by Turkey; says newspaper Zaman.

However the government and the authorities may change, issues
concerning the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the
stabilization of the relations with Armenia and recognizing its
place in the world always remain ignored. The victory of Islamists
in the elections proved, that regardless all the attempts to take
the secular way of development, most of the Turks are for Islam. It
shouldn’t be forgotten that the European Turkey is only a part of
Istanbul, to some extent Ankara and the Aegean Sea Coast, the rest
of the territory is populated by people who still live in past.

Turkey now is to make its choice; either to become a European country
or to remain the way it is; i.e. a rather dangerous neighbor for
bordering countries.

Turkey poses danger not only for Armenia but also for Greece, Cyprus,
Iraq and even Georgia, which by the way is nothing else than just
a transit state for Turkey. On the other hand, nationalism doesn’t
enjoy much support among the population. Islamists do not share
European values, in spite of the course of Erdoghan’s government
on Euro-integration and membership in EU. The problem is not in the
denial of the Armenian Genocide but in Turkey’s current policy.

Turkey suffers the complex of guilty, just like the Armenians suffer
the complex of always being the victim. The Turks still has to grow
to be able to recognize the Armenian Genocide. However, Turkey cannot
be considered a self-identified nation yet.

They are Muslims, and this is the most important thing for Turkey. It
shouldn’t be forgotten that Sultan of the Ottoman Empire carried the
title of Khalif; i.e.

the Head of all Muslims regardless the nationality.

How Turks will identify themselves now is hard to guess if taking into
consideration the number of the national "taking part" in formation
of the Ottoman-Turks.

As for the Armenian-Turkish relations, according to Ruben Safrastyan
Turkey has no preconditions to review its policy on the denial of
the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. "In the issue of the
Armenian-Turkish relations it is necessary to take into account the
fact that the currently ruling Justice and Development Party is trying
to free itself from the responsibility for the policy carried out by
Kemal Turkey. Justice and Development Party condemns Kemal Ataturk
for the model of State, which he had established in Turkey. In this
context the Party, according to the observers, is ready not only to
soften the home policy in regard to national minorities, but also to
some "compromises" in its foreign policy. This are Turkey’s relations
with its neighbors, including Armenia", said Safrastyan, adding that
one may expect some softening in the issue of borders or establishment
of relations in the political sphere.