The Challenge of Remaining Secular in Turkey's Constitution

The Pew Research Center recently conducted a survey in Islamic countries regarding social attitudes towards Sharia laws. This survey was carried out in 10 countries with over ten thousand participants, showing that public opinions vary significantly across different nations. According to the findings, Pakistan is the only country where the population prefers the implementation of Islamic laws and Sharia more than in other Muslim countries, with 97% supporting Sharia governance and only 2% considering the separation of religion and politics logical. In contrast, Turkey, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Burkina Faso show a stronger belief in secularism compared to other Muslim-majority countries. In Turkey, only 13% of the population prefers the implementation of religious laws in legal, penal, and political matters, while 38% support the separation of religion from politics. This context is significant as Ismail Kahraman, the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, stirred political, cultural, and even economic unrest with his remarks at a conference of Islamic writers and academics in Istanbul on April 25, 2016. He stated that the new Turkish constitution should be centered around humanity and should be religious in nature, criticizing the 1982 constitution for not mentioning God and deeming it unworthy of a Muslim country. Although his comments were not firmly defended by some representatives of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), they provoked strong reactions from party members, academics, and civil society organizations. Mustafa Sentop, the head of the Constitutional Commission and an AKP representative, clarified that Kahraman did not speak on behalf of the party and that secularism remains a priority in the constitutional drafting process. Following this, Nauman Kurtulmuş, the government spokesperson, emphasized the importance of the timing of Kahraman's statements but reiterated that the AKP has not included such ideas in the constitutional text. It appears that the issue of drafting a constitution based on religious laws and the removal of the term 'secular' is rooted in other matters, as the AKP has been working for months to change the Turkish constitution alongside shifting from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Members of the AKP's Constitutional Commission have been gradually approaching changes to the constitution's form and framework, advocating for a preamble that begins with 'In the name of God and the people.' However, this idea has faced opposition from other commission members, who argue that such a preamble should be an appendix rather than part of the constitutional chapters. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Movement Party has also supported the need for constitutional changes following the recent terror attacks in Turkey, advocating for the reinstatement of capital punishment to combat rising crime rates. Some representatives, aligned with Ahmet Davutoğlu, oppose adding the proposed preamble, viewing it as a reason for failure in approval. As previously stated, it is believed that the Speaker's comments were planned, and the government's spokesperson's remarks support this notion. The AKP seems to be preparing public opinion and challenging society to gauge public reactions. Abdullah Selvi, a columnist for the Hurriyet newspaper affiliated with the AKP, wrote on April 28 that Turkey, being a Muslim country, should have an Islamic constitution. Some observers believe that such actions could jeopardize Turkey's position in the European community, while others argue that Turkey aims to lead the Islamic world and present a modern face of Islam. On April 28, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, 'If secularism leads to irreligion, there is room for objection and criticism.' Ultimately, this raises the question in society whether being secular is not as important as implementing laws derived from secular thought, which could lead to a crisis for Turkey. In this context, the AKP may find it easier to challenge the 1982 constitution and push for its change. However, Selin Sayek Böke, the spokesperson for the Republican People's Party, considers secularism a red line, while Dursun Çiçek, a party representative, stated that the AKP's attempt to touch upon secularism is an exploitation of the situation, asserting that secularism will free Turkey from extremist ideologies.