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Turkish military expresses concern about disputed presidential election |
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Written by AP
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Saturday, 28 April 2007 02:30 |
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The Turkish military on Friday expressed concern about a disputed presidential election, and indicated that it was willing to become more openly involved in the process.
The military's decision to add its voice to the issue raises the pressure on the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The military considers itself the key protector of Turkey's secular establishment and has executed three coups in the past to restore order and guard the secular system.
"The Turkish armed forces have been monitoring the situation with concern," the military said in a statement posted on its Web site. "It should not be forgotten that the Turkish armed forces is one of the sides in this debate and the absolute defender of secularism."
Referring to the military, the statement also said: "When necessary, it will display its attitudes and actions very clearly. No one should doubt that."
"The Turkish Armed Forces retains its solid determination to protect these qualities based on clearly stated missions it was given by laws," the military said.
Turkey's military staged three coups since 1960 based on the same argument.
Hours earlier, the ruling party's presidential candidate failed to win enough votes in a first round of balloting in Parliament, reflecting the deep rift between the Islamic-rooted government and the secular establishment.
The military also complained about a series of public events where it said Islam had encroached on secular traditions. In particular, it mentioned a competition for children to memorize the Quran during the April 23 Children's Day, a festival initiated by the country's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as a secular event. The competition was canceled after the program was publicized.
The military statement also said girls dressed in Islamic outfits were seen reciting prayers at an Islamic event in the southeastern city of Sanliurfa on April 22, as the organizers attempted pull down Turkish flags and pictures of Ataturk.
"Those who are engaged in such activities do not refrain from exploiting our people's holy religious sentiments and try to hide their real intentions, which amount to challenging the state, behind religion," the military statement said.
"This radical Islamic understanding, which is against the Republic and has no goal but to erode the basic qualities of the state, has been expanding its span with encouragement" from politicians and local authorities, the statement claimed. |