| A referendum took place in Turkey on the 12th | | | | into a bloody political dispute, with up to ten |
| of September 2010. Favourable support was | | | | people being murdered each week from the |
| shown for the current government, lead by the | | | | opposing forces. Eventually the army had to step |
| conservative AK Party, to make changes to the | | | | in and make arrests of the top members of each |
| constitution. Almost 60% voted in favour of | | | | faction. They were successful in bringing about |
| changes to the constitution on 26 key points | | | | peace however the witch hunt that ensued lead |
| covering a variety of topics. | | | | to the alleged torture of hundred of innocent |
| The three contentious issues where the | | | | people. One of the points of the referendum was |
| appointment of Judges in the supreme court of | | | | to open investigations and potentially prosecute |
| appeals, the role of army within Government, and | | | | those involved. |
| the prosecution of participants the torture of | | | | Political stability in Turkey |
| alleged extremists during the 1980's coup. | | | | The past twenty years have been very peaceful |
| Reforming the Turkish Judiciary | | | | in Turkey however the army still has the power, |
| The appointment of judges needed to be | | | | according to the 1980's constitution, to get |
| amended as is was found that high-ranking judges | | | | involved in politics. The positive support of Prime |
| in the Supreme Court were voting for one | | | | Minister Tayyip Erdogan, in the referendum, to |
| another - thereby preventing a fair system based | | | | limit the Jandarma's (army) power has been well |
| on performance. It is proposed that out of the 21 | | | | received by European powers. This firmly sets |
| judges; three will now be appointed by | | | | Turkey's constitution as one of the most |
| Government, ten by the lower court judges and | | | | democratic and certainly comparable to European |
| the remaining eight by current Supreme Court | | | | countries. This is a potentially a further step in |
| judges. This system should prove to be more | | | | right direction if Turkey wishes to join the |
| equitable for all and provide fresh appointments to | | | | European Union but certainly an indication that |
| rejuvenate the Turkish highest judiciary. | | | | Turkish government is well supported and stable. |
| Military Coup | | | | You can conclude that Turkey is a political stable |
| Turkey in the 1980's was a place where fierce | | | | country and from figures presented by the |
| political battles took place between the liberal left | | | | September 2010 survey by the organisation for |
| and conservative right. The guidelines set out - by | | | | economic co-operation and development that |
| the Great Ataturk - in the 1920's constitution | | | | show annual GDP of 6% it definitely could be a |
| were being contested. The government was being | | | | great time to buy Turkish property |
| pulled either way by divergent political and religious | | | | Copyright protected. |
| ideologies. What started off as rhetoric, evolved | | | | |