Turkish Return Islamist Party to Power - VOA Story

General elections in Turkey on July 22nd returned an Islamist party to power, but the vote may have been less a turn away from secular rule than a desire for economic stability. The ruling Justice and Development Party, the AKP, won nearly 47 percent of the vote and at least 340 seats in the 550-member parliament. But that is short of the two-thirds majority needed to elect a president without opposition support and the presidential balloting could re-ignite political divisions in the weeks ahead. Turkey sees itself as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Here at the straits of the Bosporus, people move easily from one continent to the other. Political transitions are often not so smooth. Elections went off without a hitch, but the campaign was heated and often bitter -- and showed rifts within the society --divisions between religious and secular, traditional and modern. On the surface a major issue is the symbolism shown by the Islamic headscarf. But at the core is Turkey's identity and its very foundation as a modern, secular state. With the election results, voters showed little fear that the AKP would impose the religious beliefs of its leaders. Instead, voters chose the AKP's promise of economic stability, more foreign investment and continued talks with the European Union. Despite assurances by the AKP's leaders that they have no intention to turn Turkey into an Islamic state, deep political differences remain and could re-surface in the coming weeks. Choosing a president will be the first test of the new parliament, says political scientist, Ali Carkoglu. "If the parliamentary elites fail to cooperate on that first issue, it's likely that we're going to have to have another election, but it's a very small likelihood. " It is doubtful any of the parties want to go through another election and risk alienating those voters looking for stability. Despite their solid victory, the AKP does not have the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament to push through its presidential choice. And so it will have to cooperate and compromise. That seems to be just what Turkish voters wanted.

Revver | August 1, 2007

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