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Move to ban ruling Turkish party | Move to ban ruling Turkish party |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Turkey's chief prosecutor has asked the Constitutional Court to ban the governing AK Party, accusing it of anti-secular activities. | Turkey's chief prosecutor has asked the Constitutional Court to ban the governing AK Party, accusing it of anti-secular activities. |
Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya said he believed that there was enough evidence to show the party had been contravening Turkey's secular constitution. | Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya said he believed that there was enough evidence to show the party had been contravening Turkey's secular constitution. |
The AK Party, which has Islamist roots, won last year's general elections. | The AK Party, which has Islamist roots, won last year's general elections. |
So any move to close it will be extremely controversial, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says. | So any move to close it will be extremely controversial, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says. |
Headscarf controversy | Headscarf controversy |
The AKP is already locked in a battle with Turkey's secular elite, backed by the powerful military, over recent changes on the headscarf issue. | The AKP is already locked in a battle with Turkey's secular elite, backed by the powerful military, over recent changes on the headscarf issue. |
The Constitutional Court is reviewing an appeal by the main pro-secular opposition party on the validity of parliament's constitutional amendments in February to allow women wear Islamic headscarves at universities. | The Constitutional Court is reviewing an appeal by the main pro-secular opposition party on the validity of parliament's constitutional amendments in February to allow women wear Islamic headscarves at universities. |
The scarf reform has prompted major controversy in Turkey | The scarf reform has prompted major controversy in Turkey |
The AKP has argued that the headscarf ban unfairly bars large numbers of girls from higher education in a nation where about 66% of women wear the scarf. | The AKP has argued that the headscarf ban unfairly bars large numbers of girls from higher education in a nation where about 66% of women wear the scarf. |
Many secularists in the country equate the wearing of the headscarf with political Islam. | Many secularists in the country equate the wearing of the headscarf with political Islam. |
In a surprise announcement, Mr Yalcinkaya, the chief prosecutor at the Court of Appeals, said he had filed a court request for the closure of the AKP. | In a surprise announcement, Mr Yalcinkaya, the chief prosecutor at the Court of Appeals, said he had filed a court request for the closure of the AKP. |
He also revealed that the party had been under investigation for six months. | He also revealed that the party had been under investigation for six months. |
Speaking on Turkish television later on Friday, an AKP lawmaker said he was shocked at the news. | Speaking on Turkish television later on Friday, an AKP lawmaker said he was shocked at the news. |
The lawmaker said that senior party officials and lawyers were now holding an emergency meeting in the capital Ankara. | The lawmaker said that senior party officials and lawyers were now holding an emergency meeting in the capital Ankara. |
The AKP has its roots in an Islamist party that has been banned. | The AKP has its roots in an Islamist party that has been banned. |
But the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan - which is negotiating for Turkey to join the EU - has always insisted that its political views have changed. |
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