Cash for Comment?

Submitted by Baran (Australia), Mar 23, 2010 at 04:05

I wonder if the Turkish generals are the best qualified to determine when Turkey's "political process has gone awry" -and therefore interfere to "repair" it by hanging an elected prime minister?

What are the criteria for ascertaining that a "political process has gone awry" and who is to pass judgment on these criteria -or is it the "pleasure of Turkish generals" the one and only criteria? If these generals have some kind of divine inspiration, perhaps they can teach generals around the world, so that every country will have a near perfect democracy and political process that cannot remain awry for any significant length of time.

I am all but certain Daniel Pipes would not want to be a citizen of a country ruled by Kemalist dogma where one can be imprisoned for merely expressing an opinion. I'd think that he would therefore support Turkish democracy –however imperfect and in need of repair it might be- in preference to Turkish generals' rule by the gun!

Turkish generals have considered themselves above the law and have engaged in all sorts of illegal activities ranging from cold blooded murder of innocent citizens to drug trafficking. Their unlawful and despicable actions are indefensible and there can be no justification for them.

AK party as the elected representative of the Turkish citizens is trying to tell them that no one is above the law. And therefore AK party deserves the support of all who believe in democracy, rule of law and equality before the law.

King Charles I, too, maintained that he was above the law and caused England's population to be decimated through civil wars to keep his prerogatives. Thankfully, the parliament representing the people of England managed to defeat his forces, put him on trial and executed him by beheading. Succeeding Kings got the message that no one is above the law!

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