Turkey's education minister, at the heart of a storm that has rattled Turkish generals and financial markets alike, said his plans to reform the university system would modernise this European Union candidate state.
The powerful and fiercely secular military establishment fears that proposals to ease restrictions on students from religious vocational schools entering university will increase the influence of Islam in education.
It issued a stern warning over the planned shake-up on Thursday, helping drive the lira currency to a fresh 2004 low against the dollar and slashing the value of Turkish shares.
Education Minister Huseyin Celik, in an interview with Reuters late on Friday, said the government would decide whether to press on with the overhaul after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan returns from Greece, but he strongly defended the reforms.
"Society has expectations that we will tackle injustices and as the government we have a duty to meet those expectations," Celik said.
"We want democratisation of the board supervising higher education and of the university entrance examinations."
Under a package of constitutional reforms approved by parliament on Friday, military representatives would be removed from boards supervising higher education.
Erdogan's government, which has roots in political Islam, says easing restrictions on students from state-funded religious schools entering university is a matter of fairness and rewarding merit.
Erdogan himself, as well as many conservative-minded Turks who voted for his government, studied in the religious vocational schools.
But the military establishment, backed by opposition parties and most university rectors, see the reform as a bid to increase the influence of Islam in education.
The government, which has a large majority in parliament, has said it hopes to turn the proposal into law next week.
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