The Turkish vote

By a single "yes", the Turks have approved a far-reaching reform of their constitution, sought by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamo-conservatives. While the changes are mostly aimed at reducing the role of the military in the country's high courts, Erdogan can now, thirty years to the day after the 1980 coup d'état, claim a triple victory.

First of all, he will be in a dominant position for next year's legislative elections, in which he is running for his third consecutive term. Next, he is depriving the army of its former privileged position in a number of important institutions. And third, Erdogan has brought his country yet closer to the European Union, which has imposed a number of membership requirements for Turkey, notably the need for greater democracy in the judiciary and in public life.

Paradoxically, the "Europeanisation" of Turkey will be set back a bit, because the party responsible for this referendum is a religious one. And this is why the vote, which has met with general satisfaction, has inspired a measure of prudence from Europe's capitals. But as for Turkey's eventual membership in the EU, the ball is now squarely in the hands of the Twenty-Seven. Erdogan can rightly claim to have put himself directly in the line of fire in order to satisfy Europe's demands. It is now up to them to take the risks — political risks — to bring the membership negotiations to fruition.

Gian Paolo Accardo