CoE's Jagland: "Turkey must cast old govt structures"

There is a silent revolution taking place in Turkey, said Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland last week, citing the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) margin of victory in general elections earlier this month. Speaking to German website Deutsch Turkische Nachrichten, Jagland told how Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed the need for a new constitution, adding, "If Turkey wants to be a European democracy, then it has to turn its back on the old government structures." Jagland added that Turkey is on its way to becoming part of Europe by solidifying its democracy and that he expects this process to continue. "This means a crucial process for Turkey," he said. "Developments in Turkey are very impressive. A new elite economic class has emerged. Every day, more and more people can contribute to economic and social life. One could say that a silent revolution is taking place in Turkey. I think the AK Party getting so many votes (on June 12) could be explained this way. Turkey is bidding its past farewell. At the same time, of course, there are still a number of problems that the country has to face and overcome."