A public dispute over religion and secularism intensified in Türkiye in mid-April 2006, as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed back against warnings from President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Speaking in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan insisted that devout citizens have every right to participate in political life and cannot be excluded from it.
Sezer had cautioned the previous Wednesday that Islamic fundamentalism posed a growing danger to Türkiye's secular foundations, arguing it was attempting to penetrate politics, education, and government institutions. Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin criticized the president for raising the issue publicly without first consulting the cabinet.
Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) grew out of a disbanded Islamist movement but now calls itself simply conservative and supports Türkiye's European Union membership bid. The secular establishment, including the military, remains suspicious of the party's long-term intentions. Sezer and the AKP have clashed repeatedly since the party won power in 2002.
Several voices urged the government to take Sezer's concerns seriously. The newspaper Hurriyet editorialized that Erdogan was steering the country away from secularism, and former president Suleiman Demirel said the president's remarks deserved careful attention. Secularism has been a foundational principle of the Turkish state since its establishment in 1923.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.