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Turkish ruling party defends record

Aug 01 2008

Turkish ruling party defends record

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By Agencies

Six of the court's judges voted in favour of a ban, one short of the required seven [AFP]
The role of Turkey's governing party in promoting European Union membership proves the party is not anti-secular, a party leader has said, a day after a court decided not to ban it on grounds that it was trying to impose Islamic rule.

The constitutional court nevertheless delivered on Wednesday a strong warning to the ruling AK party, and cut off millions in state aid to it.

"We are the party that has contributed the most to Turkey's European Union membership goal," Sadullah Ergin, the AK deputy party leader, said.

"We have worked day and night for it. How can we be the focal point of anti-secular activity?

"We did not deserve to be deprived of half of the treasury funding."

The court's decision averted political and economic chaos for the country that is vying for EU membership and came as a reprieve for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, and his allies.

Head-scarf question

Cemil Cicek, another AKP politician, said the party will no longer push to allow the wearing of head scarves in universities, at least for the moment.

Cicek, who is also Turkey's deputy prime minister, said in an interview with private NTV television: The headscarf issue is not on our agenda now."

A recent AKP attempt to allow head scarves was turned down by the same constitutional court on the grounds it was anti-secular.

The government-backed bill to allow the garment was cited in Wednesday's ruling as proof that the AKP was trying to erode secularism.

For his part, Erdogan assured Turks on Thursday that his government was loyal to Kemal Ataturk's principles.

"The Turkish republic - as a democratic, secular state governed by the rule of law - will continue, without stopping, on its path towards modernity that Ataturk guided it on," he said in his monthly televised address to the nation.

"There is no turning back."

Observers have noted that the verdict itself also failed to acquit the AK party and its leaders from accusations of anti-secular activities.

On Wednesday, six of the court's 11 judges voted in favour of closing down the party, just one short of the seven required to impose a ban.