November 29, 2007 - 18:14 AMT
Public discussion of revised Constitution to be held in Turkey for the first time
"As result of European integration process, Kemalism stopped being perceived as the official ideology of the Turkish state," Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy of Sciences, Professor Ruben Safrastyan said during round-table discussions titled "Turkey after presidential elections: constitutional changes and internal transformations."

He reminded that Kemalism used to base on solidity of the Turkish state. "Presently, old and new elites (Kemalists and AKP) put up struggle. The main factor of this opposition is the revised Constitution that will be for the first time publicly discussed after official promulgation December 15," prof. Safrastyan said.

Founder of present-day Turkey Kemal Ataturk proclaimed: "How fortunate it is to be Turk", thus laying the basis of mono-ethnic Turkish state.