Turkey celebrates 80th anniversary of Republic
"All Turkish citizens including the president, the prime minister, cabinet members, deputies, judicial staff and academicians are obliged to protect the principles in the Turkish Constitution," Sezer noted.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc said that Turkey’s Parliament is the real founder of the republic.
"All the actions for independence including the decisions of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were implemented as part of the resolutions of the Parliament. the Parliament represented the people of this land," Arinc stressed.
He noted that the Parliament was founded before the Republic.
Unlike his predecessors, Arinc preferred to underline the importance of Parliament rather than commemorating Ataturk, the founder of Modern Turkey.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in his message on the occasion of Republic Day, "the Republic is a gift from Ataturk and will progress immensely and will live forever with young people who are the guarantors of a powerful Turkey in the future."
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok stressed that although Turkey is located in a risky environment, it has a stable and strong structure.
Republic Day reception turns into secularism show
This year’s annual Republic Day reception hosted by the president of the country turned into a secularism show when President Ahmet Necdet Sezer made it clear that he does not want any guests wearing headscarves.
He did not invite the turbaned wives of AK party deputies to the reception at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. He also didn’t invite the turbaned wives of Hasim Kilic and Sacit Adali, both members of the Constitutional Court.
Earlier, some AK Party deputies including Deputy Group Chairman Salih Kapusuz announced that they won’t participate in the reception.
It has been argued that Sezer’s move is discrimination.
Meanwhile, the AK Party’s Mehmet Melik Ozmen told reporters on Monday that Sezer should not discriminate among the spouses of deputies and should not close the doors of Cankaya Presidential Palace during Turkey’s most important day.
Addressing the president, Ozmen said, "I respect you and other presidents. I kindly request you open the doors of the Presidential Palace to all males, females and children of Turkey to celebrate the Republic Day in joy."
He also called on the President not to create tension in society.
According to the present dress code in Turkey, women wearing headscarves are not allowed in state offices and universities. There were a number of female university students who were not allowed into the universities and this problem has been the cause of several protests nationwide.
The headscarf issue has been viewed as a symbol of religious freedom, but it is also viewed as an emblem of political Islam. The increase in the number of head-scarved women is a signal of the rise of fundamentalism.
