Turkish top court draws secularism red lines for AKP

Media reports said the Constitutional Court accepted 30 out of 400 evidences submitted by the chief prosecutor, Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, and made its ruling by analyzing those evidences.�

Yalcinkaya would be able to re-launch the legal process, in case the ruling AKP attempts to cross those “red lines” on some crucial issues such as headscarf, religious schools and Quran courses, Hurriyet daily reported on Friday.

The court had decided to cut half of the financial aid the governing AKP received and issued a "serious warning" for the party for its anti-secular activities, in its historical decision on Wednesday. This ruling ended months long uncertainty period in Turkish politics.

Ten out of 11 members of the Court said the party is focal point of anti-secular activities, but only six said the extent of this justify a closure ruling.

Yalcinkaya included a series of remarks and speeches of the AKP officials in his indictment as evidences that the party poses a threat to secularism principle and seeks to establish a Sharia order. He also said the bill lifting the headscarf ban is also proof of his claims.

The court accepted those remarks as they prove that the party has anti-secular activities:

-- Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in February: "What if the headscarf is being worn as a political symbol?” This statement triggered the legislation process to lift the headscarf ban by amending the constitution, which was later annulled by the top court.

-- Former Speaker of the Parliament Bulent Arinc said: “We will elect a pious (Islamist) president.” His remarks came during a sensitive period in the spring of 2007 when the election of a president created debates in Turkey. Many see the process of electing the president is the beginning of the high-tension. Arinc drew fierce criticism by putting “pious Islamist” among the specifications of the president.

-- Erdogan said in November 2005: "The court does not have a word to say on the headscarf issue. The right to speak belongs to the religious experts." His remarks were a reaction to the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling that the headscarf ban in Turkey does not violate human rights.

The regulations which increased the number of students that can go to the religious schools and allowing headscarved female students to public schools, and attempts to reduce the age of taking Quran courses to 12 from 15 are among the red lines determined by the court, the report added.

The Court prevented a prolonged political uncertainty period in Turkey as well as further rise in the tension. Since the legal process had completed, now it seems that it is AKP’s turn.

Observers say the ruling party should read the message carefully and take its in line with the red lines drawn by the court, who gave a second chance to the AKP.