By Andrew Novo and Scott B MacDonald

As the expression goes, "There are no accidents." Certainly, the decision of the Turkish government to schedule a referendum for constitutional amendments on September 12 is a bold and calculated move. Nearly 30 years ago, on September 12, 1980, a group of senior officers in the Turkish army led by General Kenan Evren carried out a coup against the civilian government.

The third military coup since 1960, it focused on ending a decade of right-wing versus left-wing violence that had left hundreds dead and the country economically stagnant and politically divided. The officers in charge pushed through a new constitution in 1982 that enshrined the Kemalist values of military strength, a Turkish ethnocentric identity and secularism on a state still struggling with its handling of ethnic minorities, Islamic-resurgence, and radical politics. Through the coup and the new constitution, the military reasserted itself as the guardian of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's legacy as the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The coup was rooted in the very nature of the modern Turkish Republic and the shadowy role of what Turks call the derin devlet or the "deep state". The "deep state" refers to a partnership of high-ranking members of the military, the security and intelligence services, and the judiciary. Officially, the ideological alliance doesn't exist; unofficially, it is the guardian of Ataturk's Turkey. It is this "deep state" that is the target of the constitutional referendum.

On May 7, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) passed the 30-article package in the Turkish national assembly. The AKP, however, fell 31 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to simply implement the changes. That is why the referendum is necessary.

A key focus of the amendments package is the Turkish judiciary. Under the amended constitution, the Constitutional Court will expand from 11 to 17 members. The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors will triple from seven to 21 members. The ruling government will have a significant role in appointing the new court members. There is a fear in some quarters that this change will reverse the judiciary's strongly secular composition and make Turkey vulnerable to pro-Islamic policies, thus undermining a key aspect of Ataturk's reform program.

In previous years, the judiciary has crossed swords with the AKP on a number of issues; fighting over the banning headscarves in public universities, famously blocking current prime minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan's from office for having read an Islamic poem while mayor of Istanbul, and coming one vote short of banning his party completely in July 2008.

By Stefanos Evripidou Published on September 4, 2010

IMPROVING CYPRUS-Israel relations is a “win-win situation” for both countries, said Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman from Nicosia yesterday. Speaking after a one-hour meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, Marcos Kyprianou, Liberman said the increased frequency of visits and meetings between Israeli and Cypriot ministers was “a sign of very stable and very good relations”.

Regarding the Cyprus government’s condemnation of the recent killing of four Israeli citizens in Hebron, the Israeli diplomat said: “We really appreciate your very clear message and stand regarding terrorist attacks on innocent citizens and Israel and this attempt to torpedo the (peace) talks and any attempts to resolve our conflict.”

The two ministers discussed regional cooperation, economic issues, the Middle East peace process, the Cyprus problem, Israel-EU relations and the Greek and Cypriot governments’ proposal for sending aid to Gaza, “We think that both countries can really see a benefit from our close cooperation. It’s really a win-win situation and we will use all possibilities to improve and strengthen our bilateral relations,” said Liberman. Kyprianou agreed, noting the two countries already enjoyed a “broad spectrum of cooperation” but that they were “looking for new areas to develop these relations even further”.

Relations were not always so warm however. Historically, Cyprus has always maintained closer ties to the Arab world and Palestinian people while Israel enjoyed excellent relations with Turkey, viewing Cyprus more as non-friendly towards Israel.

The recent souring of relations between Israel and Turkey, the latter’s growing influence, Cyprus’ failure to command support from the Arab countries, particularly within the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, and perhaps even the rapport between Kyprianou and Liberman have all worked to produce a shift in relations between the two countries.

Greeces Foreign Minister Demetris Droutsas will pay a two-day visit to Cyprus from 8-9 September.

Droutsas will be received by President of the Republic Demetris Christofias, an official statement said, adding he will also hold separate meetings with President of the House of Representatives Marios Garoyian and Archbishop Chrysostomos II.

The Greek FM will meet his Cypriot counterpart Markos Kyprianou followed by a working lunch with the participation of delegations from both Ministries.