BY SEMIH IDIZ
MILLIYET- When I get back from trips abroad, I'm almost always welcomed by a political surprise rocking Turkey. When I left Istanbul two weeks ago, people were focused on the headscarf issue. When I got back, I saw the top issue is the prosecutor's case at the Constitutional Court seeking the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). When a person returns from calm, peaceful places to his home, he's astonished by news showing such tension. Fortunately, I'm used to it, and the shock soon wears off! Looking at the issue from outside, Turkey has been praised for its developing democracy, growing economy and increasing regional presence. Unfortunately, this latest incident is likely to ruin all this.
Reactions from foreign countries show this as well. Both officials in Western countries and the world media criticized the initiative to close the AKP. The main issue stressed in these criticisms is that this move could damage democracy in Turkey. US and European Union officials say this openly. A US spokesperson said it would be wrong to ban a party which came to power through elections and enjoys wide public support. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said it's wrong to interfere with the legal system and democratic politics, as the executive branch can't interfere with the judiciary. All these evaluations show that the West and foreign countries in general prioritize freedoms and democracy. They give little credit to reasons cited by the Supreme Court of Appeals' chief prosecutor and are interested in reasons behind the move, rather than its results. Another factor weighing in on this way of thinking is that there's no problem of secularism in Western countries, unlike in Turkey. So it's hard for foreign observers to understand conditions in Turkey.
The foreign media's view of the headscarf issue has been echoed in this new situation. In other words, it sees the issue as one of friction between secularists and Islamists. Some interpreters even see this not as a legal struggle, but a political one. Actually, the incident has split secularists as well. Many people who don't like the AKP and are attached to secularism and quite a few non-governmental groups oppose the move. So this issue isn't limited to the fight between secularists and Islamists. It's turning things upside down. Finally, foreign interpretations show that other countries are worried that closing the AKP would damage democracy in Turkey and threaten our peace and stability. Financial markets are worried about the Turkish market being hurt by the move. The US is trying to see the future of the ruling party that it's cooperating with and the future of bilateral relations. The EU believes that if the closure happens, Turkey will put its reforms aside completely. People who've seen Turkey as a model and example of a democratic, secular country are curious about how this image will be affected.