2007年VOA标准英语-Turkey Electing New Government

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
21 July 2007

Turkish voters head to the polls Sunday to elect a new government.  From Istanbul, Dorian Jones reports for VOA that the election is viewed by the ruling Justice and Development Party and its nationalist rivals as a key test for country's secular¹ democracy.

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses an election rally of his Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party, 20 July 2007

Candidates of the 14 competing parties tried to win over voters until the last minute in what has been an exceptionally bitter campaign.  The opposition² parties charge the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a threat to the secular state.

The election was called four months early after the opposition refused to agree to the ruling party's candidate for president, Abdullah Gul, saying his Islamic background presented a threat to Turkey's secular status. 

Political scientist Ali Carkoglu teaches at Istanbul's Sabanci University.  He says the opposition used the deadlock³ over the presidency⁴ to good advantage during the campaign.

"I think the opposition parties have very successfully from their perspective made the case that the still unresolved election of the president presents a salient threat to the secularist⁵ republic principles," he said.

The first task of the incoming parliament will be to elect the next president, who has important powers in appointing key officials, including members of the constitutional court. 

Prime Minister Erdogan, in his campaign, has emphasized Turkey's economic advances during his five years as prime minister, and it is in large part because of the country's improving economy that Mr. Erdogan's party is expected to win. 

But in the last few weeks, according to polls, his Justice and Development Party has been losing votes to the far right National Action Party, which has strongly criticized Mr. Erdogan over the increasing attacks by Kurdish separatist forces in the Kurdish regions of southeastern Turkey. 
 
Dozens of Kurdish nationalists are standing⁶ as independents in the southeast of the country, with as many 35 expected to enter parliament.

1 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 secularist   

n.现世主义者，世俗主义者；宗教与教育分离论者

参考例句：

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。