Turkish Constitutional Court must act in 'full independence': EU

Apr 30, 2007, 11:07 GMT

Turkish secularists protest against the Development Party\'s (AKP) presidential candidate, Abdullah Gul during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey on 29 April 2007. Abdullah Gul is currently the country\'s foreign minister. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

Brussels - The European Union on Monday warned the Turkish military to stay out of the country's presidential election and said the Constitutional Court must be allowed to rule on the polls in 'full independence.'

'We continue to follow events in Turkey very closely,' European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger told reporters.

The EU placed 'high value' on democracy and Turkey's secular constitution, said Laitenberger, adding: 'It is particularly important that the Constitutional Court can act in full independence and without undue influence.'

The court is expected to rule later on Monday on a lawsuit brought by the Turkish opposition Republican Peoples party after the first round of inconclusive voting last Friday.

If the court annuls the vote, general elections - originally scheduled for November 4 - must be called within 90 days.

EU enlargement chief Olli Rehn - who is in charge of Turkey's bid to join the 27-nation bloc - said over the weekend that the military must not meddle in politics.

'It is important that the military leaves the remit of democracy to the democratically elected government, and this is a test case if the Turkish armed forces respect democratic secularism and the democratic arrangement of civil-military relations,' said Rehn.

In Strasbourg, the General Secretary of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, warned the Turkish military against interference in the country's presidential elections.

'They should stay in their barracks and keep out of politics,' Davis said in a statement, saying he was 'shocked' by the military's recent actions.

'I am very concerned about the recent public statement by the Turkish military,' said Davis. 'This statement looks like a deliberate attempt by the armed forces to influence the election of a new president in Turkey.'

Close to a million people took to the streets of Istanbul on Sunday to protest against Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul becoming president. Gul narrowly failed to get a large enough majority in parliamentary polls for the presidency that were held on Friday.

A second round is scheduled for Wednesday, but first the Constitutional Court is to rule on the validity of the election.

Davis called on all the political parties in Turkey to speak out against military interference in the political process. Turkey became a member of the Council of Europe in 1949 and is one of the founding members of the organization which groups 46 countries.

A similar message of concern was sent by the German EU presidency over the weekend. The statement said all political leaders involved in the presidential election must 'behave in accordance with the democratic laws of state set down by the constitution.'

Turkish political reform efforts being demanded by the EU include calls for civilian control of the military.

The Turkish army, responsible for three past coups, warned late Friday that it was determined to defend the country's secular system, weighing in on a presidential vote that has sharply divided secularists and the Islamist-rooted government.

The Justice and Development Party's (AKP) nomination of Gul as candidate for president has fanned unease in an increasingly polarised society where many fear the secular order is under threat from a growing Islamist influence.