Some view it as a “silent revolution” while others say “the mountain gave birth to a molehill.” There are also those calling it “treacherous” because it whittles away at core values for Turkish nationalists.

How one views Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's “democratization package,” which he announced to a riveted nation on Monday, Sept. 30, depends on one’s political outlook in an increasingly polarized Turkey. The reasons for considering the package in a positive or a negative light are listed in the extensive coverage on the topic by Al-Monitor.

Turkey’s large Kurdish and Alevi minorities, for example, believe that although the package contains some advantages for them, it falls short of answering many of their democratic expectations. Then there are the other minorities like Turkey’s Christian citizens, most notably members of the Greek community, who feel they got nothing out of this exercise.

There is nevertheless one glaring aspect of the package that is beyond dispute. Namely that whatever it may do — or not do — for minorities, it lifts major restrictions on devout Sunnis imposed by previous secular governments. The Islamist section of society, which largely supports Erdogan, is therefore happy — a fact that is reflected in the warm reception the package got from pro-government media.