from BBC on Higher Education Bill controversy
Turkish MPs back education bill
The Turkish parliament has approved a controversial higher education bill, which some fear could raise tension between the government and military.
After all-night discussions, MPs adopted the bill which will make it easier for graduates of religious high schools to study at universities.
The military issued a statement earlier this week, saying the reforms threatened Turkey's secular state. Secularist President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is expected to veto the bill.
Financial markets in Turkey, which is mainly Muslim, have been affected by the controversy, with steep falls amid fears of a serious political crisis.Second vote
The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to give Turkey an educational system "similar to that of Iran and the Arab countries".Mr Erdogan, educated at a state-funded religious vocational school, says the reforms are aimed at providing greater equality of opportunity.
The bill is said to make it easier for graduates of religious schools to get university degrees other than in divinity studies, therefore opening the way for them to hold government jobs. If Mr Sezer refuses to sign the bill, the government could push for a second vote, meaning the president will not be able to withhold his signature.
But he could still declare the bill unlawful. Reuters news agency says the European Union, which Turkey hopes to join, has criticised the military's superiors for intervening in the debate.
