ANKARA (Sputnik) — On Monday, Turkish parliamentary speaker Ismail Kahraman said that the new constitution should not continue the tradition of separating the state from religious institutions, calling for references to secularism to be stripped from its constitution in favor of Islamic principles. The statement provoked sharp criticism from the opposition.
"Secularism today is no longer a topic for discussion. In the newly prepared draft constitution, the secular principle will be preserved," Davutoglu said, speaking to the heads of the regional branches of the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP).
In its founding principles, the 1982 constitution enshrines the principles that Turkey is a secular, democratic republic. Article 4 of the constitution bans any modifications to these founding principles.