Update on Turkish Politics
Turkey has embraced the new government of the Justice and Development AK Party. Minority groups such as Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Armenian communities all expressed satisfaction with the Landslide victory of this party. European Investors were also happy and the investment mood in Turkey is very positive with the Lira strengthening against the dollar. The large banks as well as Morgan Stanley were positive According to JP Morgan " The election success of the AK Party is not only helping Turkish shares but also better perspectives for Turkish Government Loans.
Prime Interest rates are expected to reduce in the latter part of this year as a result of the stability in the political situation.
Europe does not dominate the agenda in Political circles in Turkey. The Turkish Government are focusing on their economy as well and on the fundamentals such as Inflation, Foreign Direct Investment and Privatization. Many believe and I would agree with them that Turkey can become the Economic Engine of Europe. Both the Turkish people and citizens of the EU want the same things, political stability, democracy and economic prosperity. Turkey is a secular state. The fear of fundamentalism is what is driving the belief that Turkey does not fit well with the EU. Many Do Europeans understand the difference between being Muslim and a fundamentalist. Most Turkish people practice their religion like any other religious group perhaps with more fervour but they are not fundamentalist. According to a Pew Survey the Turkish people are now more positive about the economy, 46% against 14% in 2002. The other matters Turks are worried about is Drugs 65% , Crime 64% and many are also concerned with terrorism 72% and 62% viewed the US as the major threat.
The European Union (EU) has backed the candidacy of Abdullah Gul for president in Turkey.
Olli Rehn, the enlargement commissioner at the body, said that the official institutions in the country should adhere to the rules and allow democracy to win out, reports Today's Zaman.
"The EU has no reason to suspect that the army or any other instance for that matter, would intervene in the democratic process afoot in Turkey's parliament," he told the Finnish News Agency.
He added that Gul has done well in his reform efforts in Turkey, allowing the country to become a much greater prospect for EU entry.
Moreover, Mr Rehn said that the Turkish politician is highly respected throughout Europe, after being the prime minister in the former government.
Earlier this week, Mr Gul attempted to gain the support of a number of civil society organisations, including the Labour Confederation and the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange.
This article includes some extracts from Todays Zaman July 2007