Turkey's Constitutional Referendum

Yesterday, 58% of Turkish voters approved 26 constitutional amendments supported by the ruling AKP and billed as enhancing Turkish democracy. A list is here, but the most controversial allows elected officials to nominate judges on the nation's Constitutional Court, who would then serve 12-year terms. Another amendment would place military crimes against the constitution under civilian courts. Because the military and high court system have historically been autonomous bastions of Kemalist secularism, many allege that the Islamist AKP is seeking to undermine Turkey's secularist traditions.