Turkish top court continues AKP case, decision to be made Wed

Turkish journalists awaiting the ruling of the court have been called inside the building to attend an announcement.

 

The court started its deliberations on the critical case to close the ruling party AKP on Monday and held 25 hours-long two deliberation sessions by Wednesday morning. Media reports suggest the assessment on the evidence submitted by the chief prosecutor had been completed.

 

Hurriyet said the court rejected some of the evidence and would start to debate on Wednesday whether the Islamist-rooted party became the focal point of anti-secular activities or not. Once the debates on this issue complete the court would start voting on the decision.

 

The eleven-member delegation of the court convened for a third day at 9:30 a.m. (GMT 0630) on Wednesday.Â

 

Vatan daily said six members of the court would vote for the closure of the party, while five would vote against it, meaning the party would not be closed. According to the Turkish Constitution a qualified majority is needed to take a party closure decision, so that at least seven members of the court should vote in favor to shutdown the ruling party.

 

The court members would hold very long discussions on whether the AKP became the focal point of anti-secular activities or not, Vatan said quoting a reliable source. "And at the end a closure decision would outweigh and the voting would start. The voting result would come in favor of closing the party with six to five; and the party would not be closed since there is no qualified majority. AKP would not be closed but its image and prestige would be harmed," the source told the daily.

Milliyet reported the decision could come as early as Wednesday. If it does not come on Wednesday then it is likely to have the decision on Thursday, Milliyet quoted sources as saying. "Sources said it is very unlikely that the case could continue next week," it added.

Turkey's chief prosecutor, Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya had filed a case against the ruling party in March and claimed the party became the focal point of anti-secular activities. Yalcinkaya demanded the party's closure as well as 71 officials, including Prime Minister Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, of the party to be barred from politics for five years.

 

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

 

Hurriyet said the court analyzed the record of those speeches in their gathering on Tuesday. Some of the evidence was rejected on the grounds that it is not certain whether they are legally valid or not.

 

COURT'S POSSIBLE DECISIONS

The Turkish Constitutional Court can reject the accusations that the AKP has became the focal point of anti-secular activities, as claimed by the chief prosecutor; or could fine the party; or ban AKP and some of its leaders. If the court rules to ban the party and its leaders, then the government will fall and early parliamentary elections be called, possibly in November.Â

The court can also rule to deprive the ruling AKP of financial assistance from the Treasury instead of its dissolution.Â

Under the constitution, a qualified majority of votes is required to disband a political party which means at least seven out of 11 members of the court need to vote in favor of the closure of the party. Â