Turkey Court Takes Politically Explosive Case

[bemildred]

Source: NYT

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s highest court said Monday it had decided to take a case on closing Turkey’s governing party and banning its top political leaders, moving the country closer to a final confrontation between religious and secular Turks over who will rule Turkey.

Alifeyyaz Paksut, deputy chairman of the court, known as the Constitutional Court, said its justices had voted unanimously to hear the case, which was filed by Turkey’s top prosecutor on March 14.

The case calls for the closure of the Justice and Development Party, and the banning from politics of 71 party members, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erodgan and his ally, President Abdullah Gul, from politics.

Turkey has shut down other parties in the past. In 1998, it banned the Welfare Party, an openly Islamist group that claimed Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Gul as members, and has also banned Kurdish parties. But Mr. Erdogan’s current party maintains that it is secular, having moved away from its earlier involvement with political Islam.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/world/europe/01turkey.html?hp

[amandabeech]

1. If the court closes the Justice and Development Party,

there will be hell to pay in Turkey. My Turkish roommate is very worried about this--she's afraid that J&D will turn Turkey into Iran.

If the Turks split over secularism, the Kurds will become more bold in the east.

There is the possibility that the Kirkuk to Ceyhan and the Baku to Ceyhan pipelines could be cut. Better buy that new bicycle!

The last thing anyone needs right now is a destabilized Turkey to go along with Iraq, Afghanistan, and if shrub and darth have their way, Iran. I hope that the court will find a way to finesse this, at least for the moment. Later, the army will take care of re-secularization if need be.

I hope.

[bemildred]

2. That's why I put it up. nt

[amandabeech]

3. Thanks for your post. n/t