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| Europe |
| AKP again under secularist gun |
| 2008-05-25 |
| Turkey's ruling AK Party has been derided by an opposition party accusing it of waging a holy war against the country's judiciary. The secular opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), claimed that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was attacking the legal establishment in its bid to avoid being shut down for alleged violation of Turkey's secular constitution. "Instead of defending themselves on a legitimate basis, the prime minister and the AKP have chosen the path of showing their political strength and practically declared a jihad (holy war) against the judiciary," MHP leader Devlet Bahceli claimed in a statement. Turkey was plunged into political turmoil in March when the Constitutional Court agreed to consider a case by a chief prosecutor, who seeks the AKP's closure. Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek responded by saying the court is politically motivated and accused it of trying to bolster legal moves to close the party. Turkey's financial markets are nervously monitoring the court case, fearing the impact of months of political uncertainty. The lira fell earlier this week on fears the ruling party would be closed down. Turkey's secularist establishment, including the judiciary and army generals, accuses the AKP of plotting to erode the republic's separation of state and religion. The AKP which holds 340 of the 550-seat Turkish parliament rejects the accusations. The chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeals is also calling for 71 AKP members, including President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, to be banned from politics for five years. Secularists claim that a recent amendment to the constitution lifting a ban on female students wearing the Muslim headscarf at university is evidence of the party's efforts to undermine the country's secular system. |
| Posted by:Fred |