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October 12, 2008 3:30:29 PM CDT

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Turkey's PM Could Fall Over Headscarves

Posted Jun 20, 08 7:16 PM CDT in Opinion,  World 

(Newser) – Turkey's secular judges want to oust the ruling party for its moderate, and popular, stance on religion freedoms, Mustafa Akyol writes in the American. On paper, the judiciary seeks to punish the incumbent AKP party for crimes such as nepotism and corruption. In reality, Akyol writes, the AKP's support for headscarves in Turkish universities is what sparked judicial rage.

More than 400 of Turkey's 511 lawmakers approved amendments to allow the garment, and 80% of Turks agreed. But judges ruled that the move conflicted with “the basic principle of the Republic"—secularism. "If the AKP government is effectively overthrown, many Muslims inside and outside Turkey will sour on the democratic process," Akyol writes. "That would be a horrible outcome. Let’s hope the extreme secularists don’t succeed."

Source American

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Supporters of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party, or AKP, wearing Islamic-style headscarves, leave an election rally.   (AP Photo)
Secular university students in Turkey hold leaflets read that: "We want a brilliant future. We don't want AKP" and a banner showing Prime Minister Erdogan wearing a U.S. flag like head scarf.   (AP Photo)
Demonstrators wearing masks of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, second right, and U.S. President George W. Bush, right, march in Istanbul.   (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)
Emine Erdogan, the wife of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wearing an Islamic-style headscarf.   (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
With a photograph of modern Turkey's founder Kemal Ataturk in the background, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks.   (AP Photo)
Members of Turkish Communist Party hold anti-U.S. banners as they chant slogans in Istanbul after a visit by Dick Cheney.   (AP Photo/Serkan Senturk)
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Islam  • Turkey  • democracy  • Muslim  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan  • secularism  • constitutional amendment  • Justice and Development Party


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