Is Minister Tekin's 'secularism' outburst a new move for constitutional change?: CHP files criminal complaint

Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, who became the center of controversy with his remarks at the 8th Ordinary Congress of the AKP Batman Central District, stated: “What you understand by secularism is locking the doors of mosques, turning mosques into barns, and banning citizens from learning the Quran; that is what you understand by secularism. In that case, your understanding of secularism and mine are not the same.” The CHP has filed a criminal complaint against Minister Tekin following these statements.

CHP Deputy Chairman Suat Özçağdaş, along with several members of parliament and party members, gathered in front of the Ankara Courthouse to file a criminal complaint against Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin.

In a statement made there, Özçağdaş said that Minister Yusuf Tekin committed the "crime of misconduct in office by publicly inciting the public to hatred and hostility with his unrealistic words and assessments, contrary to the oath he took in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey."

Stating that Tekin committed the "crime of misconduct in office," Özçağdaş said that a detailed investigation should be conducted regarding crimes to be determined ex officio, taking into account that Article 174 of the Constitution, titled "protection of reform laws," was also violated.

CHP's Özçağdaş announced that they also requested an investigation into Yusuf Tekin regarding the crimes of "publicly inciting the public to hatred and hostility or insulting," as regulated in Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code.

A STEP TO FORCE THE CHP TO ACCEPT CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

12punto columnist and political scientist Elfin Tataroğlu evaluated Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin's statements on secularism during a program she attended on Halktv.

Stating that he does not find the understanding of secularism in Turkey correct and that it was imposed upon him, Tekin had recalled the rhetoric of the AKP's early years and claimed that girls wearing headscarves were not admitted to universities years ago.

Tataroğlu assessed that behind this move by Minister Tekin might lie a step taken to pressure the CHP a bit more regarding the constitutional change that the AKP is trying to keep alive with various agenda-setting moves.

Tataroğlu interpreted these words as an effort to force the CHP into a debate on a constitutional change regarding secularism or to reopen discussions on articles once debated over the headscarf, by dragging the country into a forced lifestyle debate before the Presidential election.

Stating that the CHP remains the only party trying to keep the opposition bloc alive, Elfin Tataroğlu said that voters also expect the CHP to solve all the problems on the agenda during this period.

She underscored that the AKP is also trying to keep its own agenda hot by making such outbursts.