▁rapid ▁as , ▁in ▁his ▁quest ▁to ▁modern ize ▁Turkey , ▁he ▁effectively ▁abol ished ▁centuries - old ▁trad itions . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁will ingly ▁accepted ▁the ▁re forms , ▁even ▁though ▁some ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁views ▁of ▁the ▁urban ▁el ites ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁generally ▁ill iter ate ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁rural ▁coun tr ys ide , ▁where ▁religious ▁sent iments ▁and ▁custom ary ▁norm s ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁stronger . ▁ ▁Probably ▁the ▁most ▁controvers ial ▁area ▁of ▁reform ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁religion . ▁The ▁policy ▁of ▁state ▁sec ular ism ▁(" active ▁neutral ity ") ▁met ▁with ▁opposition ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁it ▁continues ▁to ▁generate ▁a ▁considerable ▁degree ▁of ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁t ension . ▁However , ▁any ▁political ▁movement ▁that ▁attempts ▁to ▁har ness ▁religious ▁sentiment ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁Turkish ▁sec ular ism ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁opposition ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces , ▁which ▁has ▁always ▁regarded ▁itself ▁as ▁the ▁principal ▁and ▁most ▁faithful ▁guard ian ▁of ▁sec ular ism . ▁Some ▁assert ▁that ▁a ▁historical ▁example ▁is ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Ad nan ▁M ender es , ▁who ▁was ▁over th rown ▁by ▁the ▁military ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁He ▁and ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁Minister s ▁were ▁h anged ▁by ▁the ▁Military ▁Trib unal . ▁However , ▁their ▁charges ▁were ▁not ▁for ▁being ▁anti - sec ular . ▁Although ▁M ender es ▁did ▁relax ▁some ▁restrictions ▁on ▁religion