Erdogan: "No one is above the nation's will"

No one should be condemned or discriminated against due to their thoughts and beliefs, or different lifestyle, said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, alluding to a recent Constitutional Court ruling upholding the headscarf ban at universities. "If we do these things, we cannot raise Turkey beyond the level of modern civilizations," he said at the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges University of Economics and Technology (TOBB-ETU) in Ankara, at a ceremony marking the new school year. Stressing that no one is superior to the will of the Turkish people, Erdogan said that the court had overstepped its power and ignored Parliament's area of authority. "The decision refers to consensus, but it failed to consider the votes of 411 deputies supporting constitutional changes to lift the headscarf ban at universities as a consensus," he added. "This is unacceptable. Only the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) agreed with the court ruling. Also, it was only the CHP that came out against the changes." He also said, "Of course the decision is binding and everyone should respect it. But it seems that it will be continued to be debated and commented on." He also addressed recent demonstrations in southeastern Anatolia provoked by Democratic Society Party (DTP) allegations that jailed terrorist PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan was being mistreated. "Those claiming that they favor a democratic solution to the southeastern Anatolia issue in fact support separatist violence," he said, alluding to the DTP. During the ceremony, Erdogan also presented laptops to the 100 top-scoring students on the University Entrance Exam. Afterwards, asked about opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli's proposal to restrict the Constitutional Court's powers, Erdogan said he was open to all well-intentioned and constructive proposals to help Turkey.

Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday lambasted a recent Constitutional Court ruling upholding the university headscarf ban, the full decision for which was released this week. Claiming that the ruling was political, not judicial, and that it harmed the principle of the separation of powers, Bahceli charged that the court had usurped Parliament's authority and left the headscarf issue unsolved. Stating that Parliament must respond to this usurpation of its constitutional duty and authority, he added, "The MHP and its 70 deputies are ready to work to help reach a broad-based consensus to amend Articles 148 and 153 of the Constitution, which concern the Constitutional Court's functions, powers, and decisions."