Opening remarks delivered by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the start of the new legislative term drew sharp criticism from government officials and their backers in October 2006, with some responses containing historical inaccuracies. Those who view democracy as permitting unrestricted activity by religious orders added further voices to the criticism.
A separate address by Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt also generated controversy, prompting discussion about whether the military answers to civilian leadership. Critics accused the military of overstepping into policymaking, though a review of historical precedents for military statements was absent from that debate.
A central point overlooked in the discussion is the question of accountability for civilian authority itself. While many insisted the military must answer to civilian leaders, few posed the same question about what binds civilian leaders. The Constitution, adopted by a 90 percent vote in a 1982 referendum, is the sole document defining those obligations, and that referendum result carries significant weight compared with the AKP's November 2002 election results.
The constitutional principle of secularism has been undermined, according to the analysis, and rather than upholding it, authorities have sought to reinterpret it to fit present circumstances.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.