Questions About the Court's Decision

I guess one should accept the fact that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has been one of the most popular Turkish political parties in the Muslim world, in the Middle East in particular. Its political identity, as a combination of both progressive and conservative elements, and its economic and democratic achievements have played key roles in that popularity. The AK Party's leaders, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdullah Gül has been so popular on Arab streets that an Arab student from the American University in Cairo requested an AK Party flag from her relative who was visiting İstanbul. It can easily be said that the AK Party's success in the last six years has been amongst the best news coming out of the troubled Middle East. Given the critical role the AK Party plays in the Israeli-Syrian talks, the Iran crisis, Lebanon and the Iraq crisis, for many people in the region the AK Party has been a symbol of success and a point of hope for the future.

In the eyes of the people in the region, the AK Party represented two very important things at the same time: First, respect for a society's traditional and Islamic values. Second, an unlimited desire for reform, development, change and democracy. Because of the lifestyle of the leadership and the political orientation of the party, the masses felt the party was very close to them. It was not just that. There was a huge demand for change in the Middle East and the AK Party was offering concrete evidence that it was possible to reform a country. It was a source of inspiration for Arab regimes, Arab masses and various Islamic movements, from Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to Morocco's Justice and Development Party (PJD). Hence, the Constitutional Court case for the closure of the party was a big shock for the region. A decision to close down the party would have given a strong "go" signal to radical movements that argue for a clash of civilizations and the incompatibility of democracy with Islam. It would also have been a big blow to rising expectations that reform and development were possible through democracy.

As a result, I can easily say that the court's decision to not shut down the party has been most welcomed, not just by AK Party supporters in Turkey, but by many people throughout the region with new questions on their minds for the future.

On Thursday one of the most popular Web sites based in the region, Islamonline, asked me to join them in a live chat session to respond to readers' questions on the court ruling and its implications. Since each question gives very important clues about the perspective of the person asking — in many cases questions give a clearer picture of the mindset of a person than his statements — I would like to share some of these questions and my answers to them in order to show how Turkey's tense internal debate is seen in the region. You can read the whole session at www.islamonline.net under "Turkey's AKP: Is the Battle Over?" Here are the questions and my answers: How do you see the military responding to the court's ruling? Will the military establishment stage difficulties with the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] to embroil the AKP?

When one looks at what happened last year during the presidential crisis, we see that the military accepted the ultimate decision of the voters. Similarly this time, they have to accept the court's ruling, because this court is part of the state structure and the establishment. It would be nonsense not to respect its decision. Furthermore, the military, by cooperating to bringing former generals to the court in the Ergenekon case, showed its desire to fight back against anti-democratic forces.

But the political struggle will continue and some forces would like to use any mechanism that fits into their ultimate purpose of undermining democracy and resisting sharing power with the people by accepting new socio-economic realities. The PKK and other marginal terrorist groups, from the left and the right, will be at their disposal. I wish and hope that their dark plans will be obstructed by our military and the police. What are your expectations for the future of Turkey? Will democracy prevail and the struggle between the secularists and the Islamic-rooted party come to an end?

I am optimistic about the future of Turkey. Some people assume that the driving force behind the recent reforms is the AK Party. Yes, it has a significant role. But the main force behind this dynamism is the Turkish society, which has been undergoing a tremendous transformation in terms of its democracy and its economy. Hence, it is the society that forces political actors to reform, not vice versa. When we look from this perspective, I can say that even if the AK Party was closed down, the decision would not have been able to stop that desire for change. It would only delay it. So if there is any interest in the recent positive changes in Turkey by people in the Muslim world, one should not focus solely on political actors. They should look at the social and economic factors that produced the AK Party. They should look at the role of civil society, the empowerment of the middle class, the role of religious leaders like Fethullah Gülen and the role of the EU process.

How do you assess the court's ruling on the AK Party? Do you think the secular Kemalists and the elite are losing their grip over Turkey? Is Turkey getting away from extremist secularism?

I am not in favor of drastic revolutions as a person, because such events will have drastic consequences by wiping out the accumulated wisdom of society. Looking from that perspective, I dream of a Turkey where all ideas are respected and all groups can influence each other to make the country better in terms of social, economic and democratic standards. I do not believe that any one group has a full-fledged answer to all our complex problems in such a global environment. I hope that people from different ideological backgrounds will come to the conclusion that we have one country and our dreams are not so different.

Did the AKP actually win the battle? Why?

I do not look at the issue in terms of who won and who lost. If I did so, it would mean that there are enemy camps in the country. In this analysis, if you are in the winning camp today, do not forget that you will be in the losing camp tomorrow. Thus, for me the question is, "Did Turkey, the Turkish people, Turkish society win or lose?" My answer to that is, "Yes, Turkey won." If we want to continue fighting each other, we can look at the matter as an issue of who won and who lost. We have limited energy and we need to do a lot as a developing country, rather than fighting and hating each other.

Is the AK Party expected to compromise its principles in the future, in fear of the Constitutional Court's warning?

The ruling did not completely clear the AK Party of the allegations. The party lost state funding as a form of quasi-punishment for its neglect of secularism. But the decision itself sounds like a kind of compromise. I think both sides will be respectful to each other, which I hope may give Turkey extra time to become a mature democracy. If this compromise includes curtailing the reform drive, I can assure you that the AK Party will be punished by the same people who brought it to power in the first place. So it is up to the AK Party leadership to decide which path to follow. I hope they select the wise way and don't forget what the Turkish people expect from them.

What are the reasons behind the court's ruling against banning the AK Party?

Many factors played important roles. But the most important ones are those: First, the file was very weak. They were all claims and some statements of members of the party. The only substantial thing was the AK Party's effort — which was not just the effort of the AK Party, but also of 411 members of Parliament — to get rid of the headscarf ban. This bill was cancelled by the same court, which meant there was nothing left as concrete evidence for the claim that the AK Party was a danger to secularism. Second, the Turkish people were firmly behind the party. Polls show no sign of watering down of support for the AK Party. Even if it was closed, it would come back with a bigger majority next time. Third, both EU and America did not give a green light for the closure of the party. Fourth, the Turkish people learned about black deals to close the party behind close doors by extensive coverage of highly secret meetings. Fifth, many former generals, prominent journalists and political figures were arrested as part of the investigation into Ergenekon, a deep state or Gladio-type gang that has been plotting a coup against the AK Party since it came to power in 2002.