Ramon Santaularia / Erdogan’s detractors and opponents of Islam fear Turkish Prime Minister can perpetuate itself in power. This Sunday’s election will be a victory (except huge surprise) of Erdogan. Today, that feared Islamism, they think that their fears were unfounded and exaggerated. The opposition fears a constitutional reform that would be based on the majority who get this Sunday. The big bad wolf of Islamism depicting the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not come, despite the more pessimistic predictions of detractors and lay activists of this charismatic and pragmatic politician. On the eve of the general elections of July 2007 public officials, analysts and the press more adverse to the moderate Islamists of the ruling party of Justice and development (AKP) saw him to with apprehension and as the gravedigger of the modern secular Turkish State, founded in 1923 by Kemal Ataturk. Four years later the opponents of Islam observed rather with anguish that Erdogan can perpetuate in power, first if he wins the general election on Sunday as the Government (for the third consecutive time) j and later as a President with extensive executive powers following the French model.
The secret agenda of the Islamists to turn Turkey into an Islamic State should have stayed in some hidden ideological closet, judging by the scarce samples of Erdogan and the President, Abdullah Gul, will carry out the vaunted profound religious transformation of the Eurasian country. The restriction of sales of alcoholic beverages in some supermarkets, free access of female students to University buildings with traditional handkerchief head, a garment that share the wives of Erdogan and Gul, and the adjudication of charges of the AKP in justice, ministries and administration of education are some of the more noticeable samples that had raised suspicions in this regard.