Secularism in Turkey

There is a new initiative started under the leadership of Begüm Doğan Faralyalı, the chairwoman of Doğan Holding. It is an exercise to think about our common values.

It is indeed a very inspiring initiative. I suddenly found myself listing our common values. Not all are positive but most of them are. The list could go on and on, but let me give you my own list.

The Turkish government has taken measures in the dismissals of public service workers in the post-July 15 coup attempt period "in order to confine [dismissals] to those who were part of the attempt and institutions or persons who acted against national security," Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said in a written statement on Sept.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will bring all decree laws (KHK) issued during the state of emergency, beyond the initial one reached through consensus with the government, to the Constitutional Court, party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has told daily Hürriyet. 

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has warned that Turkey's "legitimate" post-coup attempt investigation must stick to the principles of presumption of innocence and individual criminal responsibility.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has slammed the government for taking indiscriminate post-coup attempt measures and carrying out a "witch hunt" against independent media, academics and teachers in Turkey. 

The authorities pledged to the government through the state of emergency should not be used as a tool "to jail all opponents," the leader of Turkey's main opposition party has said, vowing to continue to walk the road to democracy and rule of law despite difficulties.

I tried to explain the difficulties that Turkey has faced since the July 15 coup attempt and criticized Europeans for their negative attitudes toward Turkey during the European Forum in Alpbach last week.

Criticizing the West's attitude towards the coup as a humiliating one, a member of Turkey's main opposition party has also blamed the government for the lack of support shown to Turkey.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the head of Turkey's main opposition party, has complained that the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) interpretation of the political unity which emerged following the July 15 failed coup attempt was only about getting the support of the opposition parties for governmental actions without considering the necessities of democracy and rule of law. 

A group of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies walked out of parliament debates on May 20, in protest at Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman over his previous remarks on secularism.