"Turkey's Court Case is Not the End
By Henri Barkey
From the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Saturday, August 23, 2008; 12:00 AM
Turkey stepped short of an abyss late last month when, by a very narrow decision, the Constitutional Court declined to outlaw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Earlier this March, the state prosecutor brought a case against AKP, which won a resounding victory in the July 2007 elections, on grounds that it had become a node for anti-secularist activities undermining the foundation of the modern Turkish state. The charges were flimsy at best, but had the potential for disastrous consequences. A conviction would have upended the electoral process, undermining Ankara's quest for membership in the European Union and compromising its relations with Washington. "
More:Henri Barkey - Turkey's Court Case is Not the End - washingtonpost.com
