Reforms in Turkey

Mustafa Kemal was a Turkish World War I hero later known as "Ataturk" or "father of the Turks," and he founded the republic of Turkey in 1923 after the collapse of the 600yearold Ottoman Empire. He also instituted reforms which moved Turkey away from religious control and toward secular control of the government. The issue of how well the reforms have lasted and how viable they are today relates to the issue of the health of Islamic fundamentalism in Turkey today and how well the secular government will be able to function in the face of rising Islamic fundamentalism throughout the Middle East.

At its peak, the Ottoman Empire controlled vast stretches of northern Africa, southeastern Europe, and western Asia, and at the beginning of this century the Empire had clearly failed to keep pace with European social and technological developments. The rise of nationalism in the world caused several ethnic groups to seek independence, and this in turn brought about the disintegration of the Empire. This process culminated in the disastrous Ottoman participation in World War I as a German ally, and once the Ottomans were defeated and shorn of much of their former territory (part of which was occupied by forces of the victorious European states), the Ottoman structure was repudiated by Turkish nationalists who rallied under the leadership of Ataturk. Both the temporal and religious ruling institutions of the old empire were abolished, and the new republic concentrated on wester

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the Turkish constitution derives directly from the reforms of Kemal. The last constitution was composed in 1982 and preserves a democratic, secular, parliamentary form of government with a strengthened presidency, also providing for an independent judiciary and safeguards for internationally recognized human rights. These rights include freedom of thought, expression, assembly, and travel, but they can be limited in times of emergency and cannot be used to violate the integrity of the state or to impose a system of government based on religion, ethnicity, or the domination of one social class. The constitution further prohibits torture or ill treatment, and labor rights, including the right to strike, are also recognized in the constitution. The president and prime minister share executive powers. The president has broad powers of appointment and supervision is chosen by the Grand National Assembly (GNA) for a term of 7 years; the president cannot be reelected. The prime minister administers the government, and the prime minister and the Council of Ministers are responsible to the GNA. The GNA is a 450member body that carries out legislative functions. Election is by proportional representation, and in order to particip

Category: Foreign - R