On March 31, Turkey’s highest court ruled unanimously that it would hear a case calling for the banning of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party. The case indicates that tensions between the Islamist AK and secularists are rising sharply.
The story contains the following paragraph:
“Western observers say the case against AK is unabashedly political and could further dampen Turkey’s hopes of joining the EU. ‘In a normal European democracy, political issues are debated in parliament and decided in the ballot box, not in the courtroom,” said the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn.’”
Questions for Discussion: Is it right, as Mr. Rehn - a Westerner - suggests, that societal claims ought to be resolved only in the legislative branch or ballot box of a democracy and not in its judicial branch? What is the constitutional relationship between Turkey’s legislative and judicial branches? Does Turkey’s history of army coups in the name of protecting secularism from encroaching theocratic influences (1960, 1971, 1980, and 1997) indicate the presence of a stable democracy?
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