The resounding 58 per cent ‘Yes' vote in Turkey's referendum on constitutional reforms marks a turning point in the history of a country trying to shed its image of a praetorian state. A secular democracy with a 99 per cent Muslim population, Turkey has long defied the stereotyping of Islam and its followers as being inherently incompatible with modern political systems. Paradoxically though, the military has had a massive influence on how the nation has evolved, partly because Mustapha Kemal, the founder of modern Turkey, was himself a soldier. The military, which sees itself as the guardian of the Kemalist vision of a secular Turkey, staged four coups between 1960 and 2000, and has remained an influential political voice in the country, even drafting the 1982 Constitution. Among in the 26 amendments to which the people have given their assent are changes to make the military accountable to civilian power. The referendum itself was held on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 coup, and one amendment explicitly does away with the bar on prosecuting the generals who led it. The amendments also seek to curtail the judiciary, which has often acted as a limit on the powers of parliament, in tandem with the military. This radical reforms package comprises several measures to strengthen individual freedoms, and brings Turkey's Constitution closer in line with the European Union requirements for accession. Indeed, it may not have been possible to pull off such a package without the country's aspiration to join the EU.
What really complicates this referendum is that the political party steering the changes is rooted in political Islam. The ‘yes' vote is a political victory for the conservative Justice and Development party (AK), which has sought to change the Constitution from the time it first came to power in 2002. Its relations with the military and the Constitutional Court, the country's highest judicial body, have been strained, particularly over the government's attempts to remove the ban on women wearing headscarves in public institutions. The referendum victory is a personal boost for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Not surprisingly, it has raised concerns for Turkey's famed secularism. These fears formed the basis of the opposition campaign and led to 42 per cent voting against the changes. It is to be hoped that Prime Minister Erdogan and his government will use the referendum result in a way that will not detract from Turkey's standing as a modern secular and democratic nation of Muslims that can fulfill its role as a bridge between east and west in these troubled times.
