Turkey's judiciary calls on Ali Erbas to tone it down
The principle of secularism in Turkey is under threat. At least that is what the Istanbul Lawyers' Association believes in the face of the threatening figure of Ali Erbas. Turkey's Minister of Religious Affairs is the subject of controversy because he is accused of wanting to do away with one of the most important principles of the Turkish Constitution, which makes Turkey a secular country. The Istanbul College has been clear that "The opening of the judiciary in this particular way is unacceptable in a state of law", referring to Erbas' remarks at the start of the 2021-2022 judicial year.
Ali Erbas, an ultra-conservative cleric close to the president, is not alone in his efforts to change the country. Erdogan himself is one of his biggest supporters, and it is not ruled out that he will support the minister of religious affairs in his attempts to turn Turkish politics around. This alliance has a third link that completes what appears to be positioning itself as an enemy of the judiciary. That is Mehmet Akarca, president of Turkey's Court of Cassation. All three were present at the Opening Ceremony of the Judicial Year in which Akarca assured that he "supported the search for a new constitution".
Reactions to what has been seen by many as an attack on the rule of law have been swift. Dogan Erkan, a lawyer and member of the People's Liberation Party - a small communist party - was quick to file a complaint with the Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office against the three protagonists of this controversy, Erbas, Erdogan and Akarca. He accuses them of violating the principle of secularism in the Turkish constitution and, moreover, of abuse of power. He has not been the only one to strongly oppose the so-called illegal acts.
Muharrem Ince, leader of the Fatherland Party, has strongly criticised the remarks made by Ali Erbas and Mehmet Akarca, and even the government opposition led by Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu, who also attended the ceremony. "At the opening of the judicial year, they cut the cord on the rule of law and secularism, while the opposition holds the other side of the ribbon," Muharrem Ince said on his Twitter account. The smaller parties fear the intentions behind the opposition's stance, which not only did not disagree, but supported Akarca's words.
What Ali Erbas has been making clear for some time now is that he does not look like someone who is going to give in so easily. In the face of the numerous criticisms that have come from different parts of the country, the Minister of Religious Affairs has responded sharply, saying that "as leaders, we must not leave any vacuum". He also responded to those he considers to be carrying out an attack by "weakening the religion". "How could we have Islam without justice? (Some want) faith to remain simply between the believer and God and not extend to their home, their work, to politics, justice, or the judiciary. ... You see how they are making a scandal," Erbas said, fanning the flames even more.
The figure of the cleric is gaining more and more importance in Turkey. His closeness to President Erdogan is very important, although he is gradually gaining a significant mass of independent support. This is one of the reasons why some experts believe that Ali Erbas's real goal is to wrest the presidency from Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the right time. His strategy does not seem to be too different from that of the Turkish leader, starting from an ultra-conservative Islamist position.
Developments in the coming months will reveal Erbas's true intentions and the extent to which he is willing to risk his position at the helm of the ministry. The warnings from the Istanbul Lawyers´ Association should not go unnoticed by Erdogan's potential successor. The cleric's intentions are still far from being realised, especially when his adversary for the long-awaited presidency is the always unpredictable Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
