ANKARA — Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party expects to be closed and its leader Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan banned from politics by the Constitutional Court, a bastion of secularism.
“The AK Party will be closed,” a government minister told Reuters on Sunday, May 18, requesting anonymity.
“Erdogan is expected to be banned and some other members too. This view is shared by many in the cabinet.”
The Constitutional Court agreed in March to examine a lawsuit filed by top prosecutor to close the AK on claims of undermining Turkey’s secular order, cites a recent constitutional amendment to ease restrictions on hijab on campus.
He also wants Erdogan, President Abdullah Gul and 70 senior AK officials banned from politics.
The court, which sees itself the defender of, is expected to rule on the case as early as July.
“The mood is very dark in the party,” agrees a senior AK member.
He said Gul, an AK leader elected president by parliament last year, is very likely to be banned from belonging to a political party for five years. The ban would only take effect after the end of his presidential term.
“I’m very worried for Turkey’s future, but our fate lies in the hands of the 11 judges and we can only predict what they will decide.”
The Constitutional Court has in the past banned more than 20 political parties on anti-secularism accusations, including the Welfare Party of Premier Necmettin Erbakan.
Secularists, who dominate the judiciary, military and universities, accuse the AK of harboring a secret Islamist agenda, a claim the party strongly refutes.
New Party
AK officials are now considering their options.
“We would then form a new party,” a senior party member told Reuters.
Party sources expected that new elections will be held if Erdogan and AK members are banned.
The MPs, including Erdogan, would then run as independent candidates who will, once elected, create a new party under another name.
Some legal experts say Erdogan may be able to become prime minister under the new party.
“If Erdogan can’t be the leader of the new party, we’d be in danger because we currently don’t really have a strong number two to run it,” said an AK member.
The AK won reelection last year, cashing on strong economic growth and the launch of Turkey’s European Union membership talks.
Its landslide victory was seen as a thank-you from the public for its economic performance and a sign that Turks are tired of military interference in politics.
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