"The secularists fight back
Apr 3rd 2008 | ISTANBUL
From The Economist print edition
The constitutional court takes on Turkey's ruling party
Illustration by Peter Schrank
THE long battle between Turkey's mildly Islamist ruling party and its fiercely secular establishment is coming to a climax. The outcome could decide the country's future direction, and in particular its hopes of one day joining the European Union. On March 31st the constitutional court decided unanimously to hear a case brought by the chief prosecutor, who is seeking to ban the Justice and Development (AK) Party, and to bar 70 individuals, including the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from politics for at least five years. By a majority vote, the court also decided to hear a similar case against the president, Abdullah Gul."
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