International

Million-Strong Rally Demands Turkey Remain Secular

By Jacki Lyden, Ivan Watson

Published May 13, 2007 at 1:00 PM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

People wave national flags as they fill the waterfront during an anti-government rally in Turkey's western coastal city of Izmir. Rally organizers hope that it will unite the opposition ahead of elections in July.

More than a million demonstrators took to the streets in Turkey today demanding their country remain a secular republic. The protesters say they feel the pro-Islamic ruling party threatens the nation's modern foundations.

The weekend rally came just six weeks before Turkey's national election.

The gathering was the third major anti-government protest in the past month. After the recent collapse of parliament's attempt to elect a new president, Turks are now focused on parliamentary elections, set for July.

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Jacki Lyden

Longtime listeners recognize Jacki Lyden's voice from her frequent work as a substitute host on NPR. As a journalist who has been with NPR since 1979, Lyden regards herself first and foremost as a storyteller and looks for the distinctive human voice in a huge range of national and international stories.

Ivan Watson

Ivan Watson is currently based in Istanbul, Turkey. Following the 9-11 terrorist attacks, he has served as one of NPR's foreign "firemen," shuttling to and from hotspots around the Middle East and Central Asia.

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