In an interview with Radio Sputnik, Turkish political analyst and author Tarik Gunersel said the current situation in his country is "alarming" and that Islamization of the country's constitution could result in a devastating civil war.
"We have come to a point when soon we may find ourselves in a state of civil war between secularists and Islamist fundamentalists," Gunersel said.
According to the expert, the latest statistics look pretty discouraging. While four years ago 12% of the population supported the idea of introducing Sharia, today this figure has risen to 16 %.
Gunersel stressed that a religious constitution would allow the violation of basic freedoms and increase violence in the country.
"Let's not forget that a number of these people [Islamists] are ready to take arms […] and they have no respect for human rights," he said.
"We cannot accept it [Islamization of the country]. There will be a civil war," Gunersel said.
According to him, most Turks are moderate Muslims and, generally, secular.
"The problem is that those who do not want violence do not know how to stop this aggression," the expert concluded.
Turkey's first constitution was adopted in 1921 under the influence of the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who abolished the Sultanate and adopted principles of secularization and modernization. The constitution was modified in 1924, and later in 1961, before the current constitution was adopted in 1982.
In its founding principles, the 1982 constitution asserts that Turkey is secular, democratic and is a republic. The constitution's Article 4 bans any modifications to these founding principles.
