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| Turkish party fights for survival | Turkish party fights for survival |
| (1 day later) | |
| Turkey's ruling party has been defending itself in court against charges that could see it closed down. | Turkey's ruling party has been defending itself in court against charges that could see it closed down. |
| Prosecutors allege that the AK Party wants to impose Sharia law and is a threat to Turkey's secular status - claims dismissed by the party itself. | Prosecutors allege that the AK Party wants to impose Sharia law and is a threat to Turkey's secular status - claims dismissed by the party itself. |
| Prosecutors also want Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul barred from politics. | Prosecutors also want Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul barred from politics. |
| The case occurs amid high political tensions, after the arrest of several top figures over an alleged coup plot. | The case occurs amid high political tensions, after the arrest of several top figures over an alleged coup plot. |
| Power struggle | Power struggle |
| The AKP won a landslide victory in the last election a year ago, taking 47% of the vote. | The AKP won a landslide victory in the last election a year ago, taking 47% of the vote. |
| It says the trial is ideological, not legal - launched by the traditional secular elite that failed to defeat it at the ballot box. | It says the trial is ideological, not legal - launched by the traditional secular elite that failed to defeat it at the ballot box. |
| While I agree that any move towards Sharia law is a regressive step, you cannot go around banning legitimate political parties Memhet HardalBBC reader, Istanbul AKP trial: Readers react href="/1/hi/world/europe/7488936.stm">Court weighs party's agenda class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7225889.stm">'Deep state plot' grips Turkey | |
| As Turkey's deputy prime minister led the defence in a closed hearing in the Ankara courthouse, AKP politician Suat Kiniklioglu told BBC News that the case should never have been brought. | As Turkey's deputy prime minister led the defence in a closed hearing in the Ankara courthouse, AKP politician Suat Kiniklioglu told BBC News that the case should never have been brought. |
| "This is not about secularism versus conservative politics. This is really about what direction this country should be going," he said. | "This is not about secularism versus conservative politics. This is really about what direction this country should be going," he said. |
| "Should this country become a normal, transparent, European-style democracy - this is exactly what we are trying do to - or should it remain a country that is state-dominated, where a small, exclusive elite runs the country as it has done for the last decades?" | "Should this country become a normal, transparent, European-style democracy - this is exactly what we are trying do to - or should it remain a country that is state-dominated, where a small, exclusive elite runs the country as it has done for the last decades?" |
| The AKP insists it has no Islamic agenda, but its leaders are former Islamists, and Turkey's secular establishment - which includes the military - does not believe their views have changed. | The AKP insists it has no Islamic agenda, but its leaders are former Islamists, and Turkey's secular establishment - which includes the military - does not believe their views have changed. |
| It says the government's move to lift a ban on wearing the Islamic headscarf at universities is evidence of its intentions. That reform has already been struck down by the Constitutional Court. | It says the government's move to lift a ban on wearing the Islamic headscarf at universities is evidence of its intentions. That reform has already been struck down by the Constitutional Court. |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| Analysts believe this presages a negative ruling against the AKP when the Constitutional Court rules in several weeks' time. | Analysts believe this presages a negative ruling against the AKP when the Constitutional Court rules in several weeks' time. |
| If that is the case, analysts believe the party may re-form under a different name, and may call fresh elections. | If that is the case, analysts believe the party may re-form under a different name, and may call fresh elections. |
| Coup allegations | Coup allegations |
| Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that documents seized by police indicated that an illegal ultra-nationalist organisation wanted to foment chaos in Turkey, to provoke the military to intervene and topple the government. | Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that documents seized by police indicated that an illegal ultra-nationalist organisation wanted to foment chaos in Turkey, to provoke the military to intervene and topple the government. |
| It follows the arrest of several people this week, including two retired generals, after a year-long investigation. Many were known opponents of the government. | It follows the arrest of several people this week, including two retired generals, after a year-long investigation. Many were known opponents of the government. |
| They are the most senior generals yet arrested over their alleged links to the Ergenekon group. | They are the most senior generals yet arrested over their alleged links to the Ergenekon group. |
| The prosecutor is expected to release his indictment giving details of the evidence in that case very soon. | The prosecutor is expected to release his indictment giving details of the evidence in that case very soon. |
| The government insisted that the arrests had nothing to do with the court case against the AKP. | The government insisted that the arrests had nothing to do with the court case against the AKP. |
| But critics suggested the case was being used to suppress government opponents. | But critics suggested the case was being used to suppress government opponents. |
| "There is a suspicion in society that it is turning out to be a political revenge process rather than a legal process," said Turkey's main opposition leader Deniz Baykal. | "There is a suspicion in society that it is turning out to be a political revenge process rather than a legal process," said Turkey's main opposition leader Deniz Baykal. |