By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
ISTANBUL - Turks voted Sunday on whether to amend a military-era constitution in what the government says is a key step toward EU-style democracy, despite opposition claims that the proposed reforms would shackle the independence of the courts.
The referendum on 26 amendments to a constitution that was crafted after a 1980 military coup has become a battleground between the Islamic-oriented government and traditional power elites that believe Turkey's secular principles are under threat. The outcome will set the stage for elections next year in a strategically-located NATO ally whose regional clout has surged in recent years.
Street clashes marred voting at several polling stations in provinces with large Kurdish populations. A Kurdish party has urged supporters to boycott the ballot, arguing that the proposed changes would not advance the rights of the ethnic minority.
Police nationwide detained 120 people suspected of threatening people into either boycotting the vote or casting their ballot in a certain way, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said.
In Ankara, the Turkish capital, President Abdullah Gul appealed for harmony.
"From tomorrow onwards, Turkey needs to unite as one, and look ahead. Turkey should focus all its energy on the issues its people are facing and the future of the country," he said after voting. "The public has the final say in democracies. I would like to remind everyone to welcome the result with respect and maturity."
Voting stations close at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT, 9 a.m. EDT) in eastern Turkey, and 5 p.m. (1400 GMT, 10 a.m. EDT) elsewhere in the country, with results expected in the evening. About 50 million Turks, or two-thirds of the population, were eligible to vote. Some surveys indicate the referendum will pass; others have pointed to a tight contest.