Radicalization of a National Dialogue

The new millennium ushered in a period of stability for Turkey, and many observers expected the naton to join the European Union. But now the country is in political turmoil, as the Turkish Constitutional Court considers a ban of the ruling party, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to which the president and prime minister both belong. “The old establishment is seeking to regain its predominant position in the political system through an outdated set of ideas – Kemalism – that never achieved ideological hegemony,” writes Steven A. Cook for BitterLemons-International.org. The conflict is less about religious versus secular interests and more about differences over the source of power. Cook maintains that the AKP made the mistake of making broad rather than incremental changes, most of which were not religious in nature. A government decision to allow headscarves to be worn on university campuses became a focal point for critics. Turkey’s reform process could be wrecked beyond repair, Cook warns. Outlawing a popular party won’t eliminate its ideas or goals, and adamant secularism could transform moderates into bitter extremists. – YaleGlobal