Turkish army issues a secular reminder

istanbul, turkey -- On the eve of a devout Muslim’s expected accession to the country’s presidency, Turkey’s resolutely secular military leadership issued a sharp warning Monday against any attempt to erode the constitutional separation of religion and state.

The strongly worded statement by the powerful army chief of staff was not expected to derail today’s election of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul by lawmakers. Gul needs only a simple majority of votes in parliament, which his party dominates, to assume the presidency.

Nonetheless, the army’s warning illustrated the continuing rift within Turkey over the role of Islam in public life -- a debate that was muted, but not silenced, by the decisive victory of the Islamist-rooted ruling party in July’s general election.

“The Turkish armed forces, as in the past, will never deviate from its determined stance and its duty of protecting and guarding the democratic, secular . . . Turkish republic,” Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, chief of the military’s general staff, said in a statement.

The declaration was ostensibly issued to mark Thursday’s celebration of Victory Day, but such commentary is not customarily issued several days in advance. The holiday commemorates Turkish forces’ victory over the Greek army in the battle of Dumlupinar on Aug. 30, 1922, the final clash in the war that gave rise to the republic.

Without mentioning Gul or his party by name, the statement referred to “furtive plans” meant to “destroy the Turkish republic’s secular and democratic structure.”

In past years, such language might have been the prelude to a coup; the military has carried out four against civilian rule since 1960. But analysts and commentators generally agreed that the strong mandate given to the ruling party by voters last month made any such intervention highly unlikely.

The ruling Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials AKP, has pledged repeatedly to adhere to what it describes as a conservative-democratic program, a centerpiece of which is a campaign to join the European Union. The party has presided over an economic boom during its five years in power and has vowed to push ahead with economic reforms meant to keep that growth on track.

But many secular-minded Turks, mindful of the party’s 1990s roots in political Islam, fear the AKP will eventually seek to take steps such as relaxing the ban on Islamic head scarves in public institutions, limiting the sale of alcohol or criminalizing adultery.

The army, which considers itself the chief protector of Turkey’s secular system, was at the forefront of an attempt by the secular establishment earlier this year to prevent Gul from assuming the presidency. The post was first held by the republic’s founding father, Kemal Ataturk.

By long tradition, the president has come from the ranks of the country’s secular elite, which includes many judges and academics. Although the post is largely symbolic, the president can veto laws and makes key government appointments, including those of judges.

After the AKP assumed power in 2002, with control of the prime minister’s office and the parliament, many secular Turks regarded the presidency as a crucial check on its powers. But in May, when the seven-year term of incumbent Ahmet Necdet Sezer was approaching an end, the AKP put forth Gul as its candidate to succeed him.

Secularists turned out by the hundreds of thousands in street demonstrations, and the Constitutional Court, another secular bastion, blocked the parliamentary vote for Gul on a technicality. The confrontation eventually triggered last month’s early elections, which were held four months ahead of schedule.

Gul’s nomination was rejected by parliament last week in the first two rounds of balloting, which required that the winner gain two-thirds of the vote. Today’s final round requires only a simple majority, which his party should provide.

A soft-spoken, seasoned diplomat with a background as an economist, Gul has tried hard in recent weeks to allay fears that either he or his party harbors a secret Islamist agenda.

“I am well aware of the importance of this respected position,” he told a news conference this month in the capital, Ankara. “I will work to protect the unity, solidarity and integrity of the state and nation. I will embrace all our citizens, taking into consideration different views.”

Gul’s wife, Hayrunisa, wears a Muslim head scarf, and many secularists are extremely upset at the notion of a woman in Islamic dress representing the country at diplomatic and national events. The wearing of head scarves is prohibited for government employees and in public universities, a ban that the first lady-to-be once went to court to try to overturn.

Gul has defended the decision of his wife to choose to cover her head, saying it is a matter of personal choice.

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laura.king@latimes.com