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The Republic Protests () were a series of peaceful mass rallies that took place in Turkey in 2007 in support of a strict principle of state secularism.〔 The first rally took place in Ankara on 14 April 2007, just two days before the start of the presidential election process.〔 The second one took place in Istanbul on 29 April.〔 The third and fourth rallies took place consecutively in Manisa and Çanakkale on 5 May.〔 The fifth rally took place in İzmir on 13 May.〔 The number of people gathering for the first protest in front of Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara, was cited as ranging from "hundreds of thousands" to 1.5 million people.〔 In the second protest, more than one million people gathered for the protests in Çağlayan square, Istanbul according to AFP〔 and Reuters. The BBC reported hundreds of thousands of people.〔 Over one million people reportedly participated in the fifth rally.〔 ==Antecedent== Turkey's preservation and maintenance of its secular identity has been an issue and source of tension long before the demonstration. In the past, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken out against the active restrictions on wearing the Islamic-style head scarves in government offices and schools, and taken steps to bolster religious institutions. According to the Guardian Unlimited, Erdoğan showed his Islamist nature when he initiated a move in 2004 to criminalize adultery, which eventually failed under intense pressure from the secularist forces in the country and the European Union, which Turkey has been trying to join.〔 General Yaşar Büyükanıt, Chief of the Turkish General Staff, warned against Islamic fundamentalism in October 2006. Prime Minister Erdoğan replied that there was no such threat. In a press conference two days prior to the demonstration, Büyükanıt stated: "We hope that someone is elected president who is loyal to the principles of the republic — not just in words but in essence." This statement was widely interpreted as a hint from the General urging Erdoğan not to run.〔 The serving president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, aimed a clear swipe at Erdoğan the day before the demonstrations by stating, "The threat which Islamic fundamentalism poses to the country is higher than ever." Although the post is mainly ceremonial, the Turkish president has the power to veto laws if he holds them to be in violation of the Constitution of Turkey, as well as to veto appointments to the highest positions of the state administration, such as the presidencies of universities and many public institutions. Sezer, a former chief of the Constitutional Court, did so many times during his years in office. In a recent poll by Hürriyet, a majority of the participants agreed with the president's assessment. On April 24, foreign minister Abdullah Gül was announced as the official candidate of Justice and Development Party, by Erdoğan. His candidacy was controversial from the beginning due to his background of two proscribed Islamic political parties, and his statement "We want to change the secular system", in an interview published by the Guardian in 1995. Nevertheless additional concerns were also present, including the effect of the hijab-style clothing of his spouse on Turkey's image, who previously filed a case against Turkey for the ban in the public buildings. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Republic Protests」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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