The AP reports that Turkey's Constitutional Court today voted unanimously to hear a case that has been filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) accusing it of undermining the secular principles enshrined in Turkey's Constitution. (See prior posting.) Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, the chief prosecutor of the High Court of Appeals, filed the lawsuit, asking the Constitutional Court to ban the AKP and bar 71 people, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Dedogan and President Abdullah Gul, from politics for five years. Even if the suit succeeds, Gul could remain president because the post is technically a non-political one. Reuters says that the European Union is concerned that Turkey's constitution permits submission to a court of these kinds of issues that are normally settled through elections. The case could eventually lead the European Commission to recommend suspending the accession negotiations with Turkey.
UPDATE: The New Anatolian on Tuesday published excerpts from the lengthy indictment filed against AKP.
