Free Preview of Members-Only Content
To view the requested intelligence, you must be a Stratfor.com member.
After nearly five hours of deliberations, Turkey’s 11-member Constitutional Court voted unanimously to hear a case filed by the chief prosecutor of the High Court of Appeals calling for the banning of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, according to Osman Paksut, deputy chairman of the court. The case also calls for the banning of 71 leading members of the AK Party, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul. Paksut said a decision on whether Gul, who belonged to the AK Party until he was elected head of state in August 2007, should be included in the trial was taken by a majority vote.
Considering that three of the AK Party’s predecessors have been closed down by the judiciary, the Constitutional Court’s unanimous decision raises fears that the AK Party could meet a similar fate. The court’s March 31 decision does not mean this is a foregone conclusion, however, especially given the composition of the court. That said, the case highlights the major state of flux the Turkish political system is in.
| Stratfor Members, please log in at the top left hand corner |
