Turkish Islamic-Oriented Party Faces Closure Bid Amid Tensions with Secularists

March 17, 2008

Author: Staff Writer

Source: The International Herald Tribune

Wire Service: AP

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/17/europe/EU-GEN-Turkey-Secularism.php

Turkey's Islamic-oriented government is considering legal ways to stop the country's chief prosecutor from disbanding the party on charges of undermining secularism, a party official said Monday.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government and officials from his Justice and Development Party were scheduled to hold several meetings Monday to discuss possible legal measures, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The government could change the law to make closing down political parties more difficult and strip prosecutors of some powers, preventing them from pushing for the disbandment of parties on their own, newspapers and television stations reported Monday.