Turkish Erdogen to visit Greece

Turkey’s New Watchdog: Military
A wary eye on Islamic party

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

November 5, 2002

Ankara, Turkey – A party with Islamic roots won a mandate in Turkey, but a wary military is likely to severely constrain the party’s ability to carry out any changes to the secular, pro-Western system.

The Justice and Development Party is also likely to face a push from its own grassroots, many of whom backed it in the hope it would bring a more Islamic character to the state.

Justice and Development’s time in power is likely to be a tug-of-war signifying the traditional struggle between East and West in Turkey, a crucial Western ally and NATO’s only Muslim member. Turkey hosts U.S. warplanes at its southern Incirlik air base, which was a staging point during the Gulf War. Ankara’s support would be key to any new U.S. operation against Iraq.

Immediately after his party’s victory, Justice leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was once jailed for anti-secular activities, took pains to assure the public he did not intend to change the country’s pro-Western orientation.

“We included in our program that we’re not a religious-oriented party,” he told reporters yesterday. “Our future practices will show it clearly …” He also emphasized that his party would support a U.S. attack on Iraq if it had UN approval.

The party captured 34 percent of the vote and won the first absolute majority in Turkey’s parliament in 15 years after more than a dozen parties failed to cross the 10-percent threshold needed to get seats.

Voters, straining under Turkey’s worst recession in four decades, sent all other incumbent parties packing. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit received 1 percent of the vote and resigned yesterday. The frail, 77-year-old premier has agreed to stay on as a caretaker until a new government is in place.

Some observers in Washington have said the party’s victory could benefit the United States as the military will watch Erdogan so closely he will have almost no room to maneuver. The military regards itself as the guardian of Turkey’s 80-year tradition of secularism and has led three coups. The military has made no comments since the elections.

“The military will be very vigilant,” said Seyfi Tashan, the director of the Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara. The Justice party “will not have much leeway.” Analysts also say it may become the party that pushes strongest for European Union reforms, knowing that the EU is looking to limit the amount of influence the military has in politics.

In a highly symbolic move, Erdogan announced he would visit Greece to push for Turkey’s bid for EU membership.

It has been Erdogan’s message of moderation – he made no mention of religion in his campaign speeches – and his image as a clean politician who emphasized social welfare that led to his party’s success. Many of the voters who supported him were not religious and were looking to cast a protest vote against Turkey’s traditional politicians.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-woturk052992781nov05,0,25353…