A New Pro-Islamists Political Party in Turkey

05/04/2001| IslamWeb

ANKARA: (BBC)-A new pro-Islamist political party has been set up in Turkey by members of the Virtue Party, which was shut down a month ago.Half of the Virtue Party's 102 deputies in parliament will become members of Saadet - roughly translated as "happiness" or "prosperity".
The Virtue Party was banned by the Constitutional Court for anti-secular activities.The former leader of Virtue, Recai Kutan, (Photo) said Saadet would protect religious rights, but would not challenge the principles of the secular state.
However, the new party is likely to continue campaigning on issues such as trying to lift the ban on women wearing Islamic-style headscarves in schools and public offices.
Unacceptable provocation
One of the main reasons the Virtue Party was closed down was that one of its deputies tried to take the oath of office in parliament wearing a headscarf.
To the secular establishment, that was an unacceptable act of provocation.
The new party will be closely monitored by secularists in the military and the judiciary for any signs of similar behaviour.
New centre-right party
Meanwhile, another party is about to emerge from the ashes of the Virtue Party.
The group is made up of self-styled reformers, under the leadership of the former mayor of Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr Erdogan is one of the most charismatic and popular politicians in the country.
He was banned from politics and jailed in 1998 after he gave a speech in which he recited a poem that was deemed to be provocative.
But a ruling in the Constitutional Court this week appears to set a precedent that will allow Mr Erdogan to return to active politics.
He wants to set up a party that will appeal to a broad spectrum of voters on the centre right.