Turkey Moves Away From Democracy

[Pete]

I put this here since Turkey is linked to the EU.

Turkey Moves Away From Democracy

http://www.poligazette.com/2009/09/1...rom-democracy/

".....Part of the AKP’s EU-oriented reform programme has resulted in a reduction of the military’s influence, and in a late night sitting at the end of June the government passed an amendment to the Penal Code, which makes it possible for civilian courts to prosecute military personnel. However, as the law is a violation of the Turkish constitution, which gives military courts sole jurisdiction, the opposition party CHP has petitioned the Constitutional Court to annul the amendment.

This is the same Constitutional Court which last year found the AKP guilty of being “a focus for anti-secular activities” and halved the party’s state funding. Erdogan has threatened to shut down the Court, but it is likely it will be included in the AKP’s coming judicial reform, which will change the composition and jurisdiction of the Court and place it under government control........"

Interesting read.

[Pete]

Took him 8 years buy Erdogan has just about sewn things up

"Turkish referendum polls show 'Yes' vote above 51 percent"

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tu...-idUSKBN17F0V3

"A narrow majority of Turks will vote "Yes" in Sunday's referendum on changing the constitution to grant President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers, two opinion polls showed on Thursday.

The April 16 vote will decide on the biggest change in Turkey's system of governance since the modern republic's foundation almost a century ago, potentially replacing its parliamentary system with an executive presidency........"

[Remington Raidr]

Ataturk is up to 800 rpm.

[Hand]

I suspected all that mess last year was some sort of coup (probably not the correct word). Looks like Edrogans plan has worked. I wonder how the average Turkey citizen would describe the state of things now versus before the cleansing last year.

[Remington Raidr]

Originally Posted by Hand

I suspected all that mess last year was some sort of coup (probably not the correct word). Looks like Edrogans plan has worked. I wonder how the average Turkey citizen would describe the state of things now versus before the cleansing last year.

but I think they realize they are SCREWED. Since the "young turks" set it up, modern Turkey could rely on the military to shut down the fanatics when they reared their ugly heads. He has neutered the military, so shit is gonna get real.

[LarryW]

Originally Posted by Pete

Took him 8 years buy Erdogan has just about sewn things up

"Turkish referendum polls show 'Yes' vote above 51 percent"

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tu...-idUSKBN17F0V3

"A narrow majority of Turks will vote "Yes" in Sunday's referendum on changing the constitution to grant President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers, two opinion polls showed on Thursday.

The April 16 vote will decide on the biggest change in Turkey's system of governance since the modern republic's foundation almost a century ago, potentially replacing its parliamentary system with an executive presidency........"

Sir: The tea leaves are compelling. Maybe all this implies a return of an Ottoman Caliphate? The Turks hosted the ME Caliphates for a few hundred years imploding in the 1920's, and I think Erdogan would love nothing better than see a return to those old glory days. 'Course, it's not the same enchilada neighborhood, but crazy doesn't always care.

[Box]

I have been out of the loop for a while... when was turkey ever a champion of this thing called democracy?


...sorry to ask such a stupid question but I have been playing a lot of on-line poker and haven't been paying attention to Turkish politics

[LarryW]

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

I have been out of the loop for a while... when was turkey ever a champion of this thing called democracy?


...sorry to ask such a stupid question but I have been playing a lot of on-line poker and haven't been paying attention to Turkish politics

When? Probably never, sir. Right now Erdogan is dealing from the bottom of the deck under the kings-ex of NATO. The rest of NATO (including the US) probably doesn't want to shake his tree, and he knows it. His economy smells to high heaven (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tu...KBN17J0TE?il=0) If he was able to establish Turkey as a leader or political advocate of the Sunni world it could save his ass and move him closer to retrieving the jackpot and title as The Caliphate Gambler. JMHO, but this creep would do anything to have a legacy.

gambler.jpg

[Remington Raidr]

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

I have been out of the loop for a while... when was turkey ever a champion of this thing called democracy?

and only Pete used "democracy" in his title. most posters understand that a secularism, that is, not a government of Islamic law, is what modern Turkey was founded on, and that in the alternative we are gonna need a new Vlad the Impaler.