Minister Tekin responds to criticisms of 'secularism': The CHP leadership knows nothing about their own history.

The Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin, who made headlines with his statements regarding secularism, came to Rize to attend the AK Party's 8th Ordinary District Congress held in Güneysu.

"THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT OF CHP KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THEIR OWN HISTORY. OR THEY ARE DENYING IT"

Speaking at the congress, Minister Tekin responded to criticisms regarding his speech on secularism. Tekin stated, "Yesterday, I made some statements in Batman. I particularly claimed that the practices of the Justice and Development Party in the context of freedom of religion, belief, and worship are consistent with universal secularism, but the management of the Republican People's Party, which criticizes this, has a unique, non-liberal understanding of secularism that is specific to Turkey. I stated this with examples. Since that day, all the spokespersons of the CHP have been making statements on social media. From these statements, I understand this; the current management of CHP knows nothing about their own history or they are denying it. They do not remember the old 1940s, or they do not want to remember. They are very disturbed because I reminded them of those times. Their peace is almost disturbed."

"IS IT POSSIBLE FOR CHP'S UNDERSTANDING OF SECULARISM TO COINCIDE WITH MINE?"

Referring to the reasons for the CHP's application to the Constitutional Court regarding the headscarf in 2008, Minister Tekin said, "In 2008, the Republican People's Party made an application to the Constitutional Court regarding the headscarf. Let's look at the reasons for this application. Why did they claim that the regulation of freedom for the headscarf is contrary to the constitution? They have three main reasons. They refer to the conceptualizations in the first three articles of the constitution. They say, 'Bringing freedom for the headscarf disturbs the peace of society.' Secondly, they say, 'Bringing freedom for the headscarf is contrary to the general spirit expressed in the preamble of the constitution.' In the third, they say, 'It is contrary to the principle of secularism defined in the constitution, which is included in the first three articles of the constitution.' Now I am curious. Is it possible for the understanding of secularism of the Republican People's Party, which claimed in 2008 that the headscarf is contrary to the principle of secularism in the constitution, to coincide with mine? Or is it possible for it to coincide with the understanding of secularism of the Anatolian people? Now I want to ask a question to those who criticize our statement in the Republican People's Party and criticize the liberating moves made by the AK Party in this regard. Is it contrary to the first three articles of the constitution for the children of people to cover their heads and study at the university, but is it not contrary to the first three articles of the constitution to form a coalition with a political party that opens the unitary state to discussion?" he said.

"I AM A DEMOCRACY ENTHUSIAST, I WILL DEFEND BASIC RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS TO THE DEATH"

Responding to the criticisms, Minister Tekin said, "I want to respond to them on my behalf with the last sentence of the preamble of the constitution. The end of the preamble of the constitution says, 'I entrust this constitution to the love of the homeland and nation of the democracy-loving Turkish children'; I am that vote, my friends. I am a Turkish child who loves democracy, homeland, and nation. Therefore, I will defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of Turkish citizens and Turkish people to the death. 'In order to be able to teach your values, your traditions, the traditional structure and traditions of the society I come from to our children and future generations, to ensure that our national unity and solidarity is defended by the children of future generations, to raise a society that embraces our customs and traditions, and to raise a generation that can protect our unitary state structure, independence, democracy, and Republic,' I will continue this struggle," he stated.