Turkish business association warns on "regime crisis"

"Non-political interventions to political scene prevent Turkey to be seen as a country which is governed with universal democracy rules, while opportunities to place advanced democratic standards are missed", Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) said in a written statement.

TUSIAD criticized both the government and the opposition parties, urging each party to act calmly and in common sense.

The government should pursue an agenda focused on the welfare and peace of the nation and stick to the principles of rule of law as well as the separation of powers, TUSIAD added. It also said the opposition should put political alternatives that could translate into the solution of nation's the problems.

"There is no way that we, as TUSIAD, can stay silent as long as we live," it added. TUSIAD listed the steps that should be taken to overcome the recent turmoil as ensuring the national solidarity and reducing the tension, defending full democracy for everybody and non-conditional respect to law.

Political tension has been high since a leftist and anti-AKP columnist, a party leader and a former rector were taken into custody on Friday with suspected links to an illegal gang which was accused of paving the way to a military coup following Turkey's chief prosecutor filed a lawsuit against the governing AKP demanding its closure on March 14. Observers say recent developments embark a new episode in the secularists' and Islamist groups' struggle for power.