New Leaders Of The Justice Party example essay topic

If we take for granted the fact that it seems that in international politics, unlike on law, one is guilty until proven differently, the task I chose to present in this term paper becomes extremely difficult. I intend to defend and acquit Turkey's new government with the unfair charges of anti democratic and "Islamic oriented" that some western leaders and have deposited on it. Furthermore, passing that difficult test I'll intend to analyze Turkey's new hopes for European Union admittance, a quest lead by the newly empowered Justice Party. A quest that has been eternal for the Turkish people and that would try to end with the concept that an Islamic nation cannot mingle, function and prosper among non-Islamic partners. A quest that, now more than ever is standing on a defining point.

Before I begin with this analysis, I would like to point out that for the purpose of this paper "Islamic oriented" has a negative connotation because of European Union's attitudes towards Islamic beliefs and customs. In this student's opinion, labeling any government as Islamic oriented is as dumb and as an unimportant as labeling any government as catholic oriented or protestant oriented. The EU tends to condone these last two examples but has a lot of trouble trying to cope with an Islamic counterpart, less alone an Islamic member. To begin with, lest first introduce the actor on trial here, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (Justice Party). Founded last year by former members of the banned Welfare Party. This former party was banned by Turkish courts and taken out of power by the military due to its Islamist orientation and propaganda.

However, the new leaders of the Justice Party have become more moderate. Head among these leaders is Recep Tayyip Erdogan former mayor of Istanbul and key figure of the new government. Although Tayyip Erdogan cannot take office as Prime Minister due to a judicial dictate that prohibit him of taking office, he is clearly the head of the new government. Erdogan received this veto from Turkish courts due to his acts in 1997 when he publicly read a poem that aroused Islamic nationalism and anti secular ideas. Despite this limitations Erdogan's charisma and great reputation as been both a honest and efficient public administration, managed to keep the former mayor of Istanbul as a key political figure on the country. Erdogan, now 48 years old, effectively lead his party to a decisive victory just two weeks ago, when on November 3rd Justice Party swept the parliamentary elections on Turkey winning 363 seats out of the 560 available at the Turkish legislature.

This comes not as a slight surprise dough, the polls had predicted Justice Party's clear victory, what comes as a surprise is the landslide victory it had on election day. Justice Party not only won more seats than any other party, it won more seats than all the other party's combined making it the first time in 15 years of Turkish government there is now a majority government. With this majority JP could appoint the Prime Minister without recurring to any alliance with the other parties. The new prime minister, Abdullah Gul took office November 16th, in the mist of a nationalistic fervor. How can a labeled "Islamic oriented party" won a landslide victory in a country that has follow the Kemal ist legacy of defending its secularity and with high expectations of joining a non-Islamic community as the EU? Here is where it gets really interesting.

Simply because Justice Party, unlike many tend to believe promotes secularist policies and pro-European doctrines. Erdogan's campaigned mainly on non religious issues such as Turkey's battered economy, winning membership in the European Union and promoting social welfare. A analysis of the recent electoral results would prove that Erdogan's Party managed to gained the support of a broad number of voters raging from many different economical, gender and age stratus. Justice Party placed first on all age, gender and income comparisons.

Meaning, most men voted for the JP, most women voted for it, most young people (below 35), most elder people (above 35) and most rich or poor. Obviously, the JP had more success with specific segments of the population, specially the young segment of the population where its carried 40% of all votes made. However these statistics shows us that the JP is not party that has the support of just a segment of the population, but more importantly it has the support of a pluralistic representation of the population. The graph shows Justice Party (AKP for its Turkish abbreviation) landslide success on the 35 and under population votes during the November 3rd elections. How did JP gained such a broad support? Why was it so attractive to all kind of voters?

A reason is that Erdogan as well as Prime Minister Gul have expressed on more than one occasion that they commitment is not religious oriented, but a democratic modernizing effort. On JP's view, one can be a Muslim state without necessarily be undemocratic or awkward. Upon taking office Gul expressed to the media 'We want to show that a Muslim country can be democratic, transparent and modern and be together with the world,' 's aid Gul. All through out their campaign JP preached on modernization platform that promised the Turkish what they have seek for a long time, admittance to the EU by making Turkey a modern, economically strong and democratic country. An analysis of the Party's platform would easily prove that their claims of being a secular party with only Islamic moral as a guide are indeed true". [... ] our Party embraces without discrimination, all of our citizens, regardless of their sex, ethnic origins, beliefs and opinion. On the basis of this pluralistic concept, it is one of our Party's fundamental objectives to develop the consciousness of citizenship and to share with all our countrymen, the pride to possess and belong to the country where we live".

The platform clearly states on this part as well as in other parts of it its commitment with the defend of religious freedom, unlike many tend to believe. Furthermore, the platform contains a very detailed strategy to achieve modernization and future acceptance to the European Union. Unlike many of its critics stated, the Party doesn't want to abolish their relations with the EU or neglect the fight for acceptance in the Union. On its economic part, the platform states that It believes "relations with the European Union, World Bank, IMF and other international institutions must be maintained along the lines of the requirements of our economy and our national interests". Many critics see this declaration as a dangerous one because they say that the fact that Justice Party accepts IMF and EU activities just as long as they stay along nationalistic interests proves that Justice Party would eventually stay away from the EU. However, can we blame them for making this declaration?

How can we? Haven't the British stated the same thing, over and over again? How can we condone those declarations and condemn at the same time Justice Party's declarations? Its obvious that everyone would refuse to subdue their national interest, JP's position on EU is a clear and as justifiable as every other nation. Alliances are made to benefit a nation, not to subdue it to another nations will. Sources Justice and Development Party Homepage New York Times Homepage Financial Times CNN Homepage.