President Abdullah Gül reacted to the request of the prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), saying:
“It has to be well-considered what such a request, concerning the ruling party which came into parliament with such a majority, will gain or lose Turkey.”
Speaking from Dakar in Senegal, where he is attending the 11th Organisation of Islam Conference, Gül said: “If we talk about this here, then the reasons why we came here would be overshadowed.”
"I am above politics now"
When journalists commented, “You experienced this with another party, when you were in the opposition, and in a much more serious manner…,” referring to his membership in the Welfare Party (Refah Partisi), which was closed down in 1998, and in the Virtue Party (Fazilet Partisi), which was closed down in 2001, Gül said, “There can definitely be no comparison. I am now in a position which is above politics. I represent the unity and integrity of Turkey and am concerned with Turkey’s short and long-term benefits.”
A statement released by the AKP said: “Judiciary positions must not use the law in order to interfere with the government. It would be the judiciary and law which would be damaged most.”
The request for the party to be closed was made by prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, who lodged it with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the AKP was “anti-laicist.”
Many judges appointed by previous president
Of the fifteen members of the court, eleven are permanent. Eight of them were appointed by the previous President, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, a known staunch supporter of laicism in Turkey.
In order to close the party, a qualified majority would be enough, i.e. seven votes.
Sancar: Gül's position would not be affected by ban
Prof. Dr. Mithat Sancar, lecturer at the law faculty of Ankara University, spoke on NTV and evaluated the closure demand. The prosecutor has demanded the closure of the party, as well as a five-year ban from politics for many politicians, including Gül. However, Sancar argued that this would not affect Gül’s presidential office.
CHP: Cautious approval
Other parties have also reacted to the news of the closure request. Mustafa Özyürek of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said: “It is unfortunate for the ruling party to end up in this situation. We don’t approve of closing parties, but if, according to the laws, a party has committed a crime, the Chief Public Prosecutor has to do his duty. The AKP has in the past acted in defiance of the principle of laicism, or at least in accordance with its own interpretation of laicism."
MHP also cautious in its comments
Osman Cakir of the second opposition party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said: “If something wrong has been done according to the Constitution or the law, then the necessary steps need to be taken. Otherwise, this would mean opposing the laws. But this has to be evaluated in a very careful manner, a duty which falls to the judiciary.”
DTP condemns closure attempts in general
Selahattin Demirtas of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), whose own party is facing a closure trial at the moment, said: “The efforts to close a party which came to power with 47 percent of the vote and which provided the President will go down in the history of democracy as an unfortunate event. The closure case against the AKP is, just like the closure case against the DTP, motivated by ideological reasons. The case against the AKP has been justified by the fact that it has become ‘a hotbed of anti-laicist activities.’ Even if that were true, this would not justify closure.”
Osman Özcelik of the same party, said: “This is a strange country. Even if it is the AKP, we do not approve of closing parties. You call for the closure of the DTP, but the same thing can happen to you tomorrow. Just as the case against the DTP is wrong, the case against the AKP is wrong, too.” (GG/AG)
*This article used information from Radikal and NTV.
