ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 15th, 2008. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
LAWSUIT SHOCK FOR AK PARTY
Chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals petitioned to the Constitutional Court, and filed a lawsuit against the Justice & Development (AK) Party, saying that "the party has become the focal point of anti-secular activities." The prosecutor asks for five-year political ban for President Abdullah Gul, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc.
In the indictment, the prosecutor referred to remarks of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Spain and AK Party MP Husnu Tuna, and showed them as evidence for his case. In Spain, Erdogan had said, "even if it is a political symbol." Tuna had said, "our target is to free headscarf in public area."
Constitutional Court Chief Judge Hasim Kilic said the indictment asks the court to ban 71 people from politics for five years. "I have seen the names of President Gul, PM Erdogan and Bulent Arinc at the top of the list," he told.
It has been learned that Gul is included in the list for the crypto regarding "his visit to Gulen`s schools" when he was the foreign minister of Turkey.
AK PARTY: IT IS A SHAME FOR DEMOCRACY
AK Party deputy chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat read out the statement PM Erdogan ordered to be prepared. "Turkey is now face to face with a big shame that does not suit its democracy and esteem."
AND REACTION OF OPPOSITION
The Republican People`s Party (CHP) said it is not right to close a political party, but if a crime is committed, the prosecutor fulfils his/her duties. On the other hand, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said, "we have reached nowhere with closing political parties." The Democratic Society Party (DTP) said it is against closure of political parties. The Democratic Left Party (DSP) said they did not want developments to come to this point. "AK Party harmed secularism in every occasion," DSP also said.
UNPRECEDENTED REACTION WAS A BRAKE FOR REFORM
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in streets in the biggest trade union protest of the last 17 years. The AK Party had to brake to review the social security reform.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
CLOSURE CASE FOR AK PARTY
Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor`s Office filed a lawsuit for closure of ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party, saying the party has "become the focal point of anti-secular activities".
Chief Prosecutor`s Office had earlier warned AK Party twice for its attempts to lift the ban on headscarf at universities since these attempts were the reason to file lawsuit for closure.
Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya asked the Constitutional Court to ban 71 AK Party members, including President Abdullah Gul, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, for five years from politics.
OUTLINES OF THE INDICTMENT
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s statement in Madrid. He said headscarf cannot be banned even if it is a political symbol.
AK Party deputies Husnu Tuna and Fatma Sahin`s remarks. They said headscarf would be free in public institutions.
A statement by Cuneyt Zapsu, one of the founders of AK Party. He said telling a woman on the street to take off her headscarf is the same as telling her to take off her underwear.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF COURT SHUTS DOWN?
Constitutional Court`s decision may lead to an early general election. It can also force AK Party to go on its way with another chairman under another name. AK Party will fade away in Turkey`s political life if court shuts down. However, AK Party members can establish another political party during the case.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
ALSO CLOSE THE PARLIAMENT
The chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals filed a lawsuit to close the Justice & Development (AK) Party, following the case it opened to ban Democratic Society Party (DTP). The prosecutor demanded that the prime minister should be banned from politics.
In the indictment he sent to the Constitution Court, Chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya asked the court to close the AK Party for "the party has become the focal point of anti-secular activities." Thus, the number of political parties at the parliament that are facing closure cases rose to two.
AK PARTY: TURKEY IS FACING A SHAME
The closure case had great repercussions in Turkey and in the world. Speaking on behalf of the AK Party, deputy chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat said Turkey`s democracy is face to face with a big shame. "This appeal is a third-class legal understanding. This is an injustice against stability," Firat said.
PARTY CAN BE CLOSED ONLY BY VOTES OF SEVEN MEMBERS
Chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, in his indictment, asked the Constitutional Court to ban 71 executives of the AK Party from politics for five years. Among them are President Abdullah Gul, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former parliament speaker Bulent Arinc.
A political party can be closed only by votes of seven of 11 members of the Constitutional Court.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
-------------------
BOMB ON POLITICS
Chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals filed a lawsuit to close the Justice & Development (AK) Party, saying "the party has become the focal point of anti-secular activities." Yalcinkaya demanded that 71 executives of the party, including President Abdullah Gul, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former parliament speaker Bulent Arinc should be banned from politics for five years.
The chief prosecutor launched initiatives after a speech by PM Erdogan in Spain in which he started as saying, "even if headscarf is a political symbol." When he was the foreign minister of Turkey, Gul sent cyrptos to the ambassadors of Turkey in which he asked for their support to Gulen`s schools and National Vision.
Arinc was included in the indictment for his remark in which he said, "I do not believe in secularism, at least the way it is implemented in our country."
CLOSURE OF PARTIES MORE DIFFICULT TODAY
The Turkish government led by deceased Bulent Ecevit conditioned closure of political parties to qualified majority in 2001 within the scope of steps taken to adjust to the EU. Thus, seven of 11 members of the Constitutional Court have to cast "yes" to close a political party. This qualified majority condition saved Hak-Par; the party could not be closed for only six members cast positive votes.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
CLOSURE CASE FOR AK PARTY
Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, who examined closely statements made by AK Party members regarding headscarf, imam hatip (theological high schools) and secularism, asked the court to shut down the party. The indictment said AK Party still has links to Welfare Party (RP) and Virtue Party (FP) although party members say they were "reformist."
WORKERS RALLY
Laborers staged a two-hour strike to protest government`s social security bill. Tens of thousands of people marched in Istanbul. Education recessed at schools, transportation was blocked in Turkey.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two-hour strike was illegal and defended the bill. He said acquired rights will be preserved.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
CHIEF PROSECUTOR DEMANDS CLOSURE OF AK PARTY
The chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals accused the Justice & Development (AK) Party of "being a focal point for anti-secular activities", and demanded that 71 members of the party should be banned from politics. President Abdullah Gul, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former parliament speaker Bulent Arinc are at the top of the list.
A "shocking" decision shook Turkey on Friday. Chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya appealed to the Constitutional Court, asking the court to close the AK Party. Constitutional Court Chief Judge Hasim Kilic said the file was comprised of 160 pages. The file also includes the previous decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding closure of Welfare and Virtue parties.
SOCIAL SECURITY WILL BE REHABILITATED
Criticism against the social security reform and protests staged against it throughout Turkey on Friday made the government take a backward step. PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded that the law be withdrawn from the parliament and be re-written in a smoother style.
FENERBAHCE`S RIVAL IS CHELSEA
Fenerbahce soccer team of Turkey was paired with Chelsea of Britain in the quarter-final of the European Champions League. The first match will be in Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Kadikoy, Istanbul on April 2nd.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
BIG SHAME
Justice & Development (AK) Party`s top executives convened under the chairmanship of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to assess the closure case. Deputy Chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat read out a statement on behalf of the party.
"The target is Turkish democracy and the will of people," the statement said.
Firat said judiciary organs should not act like a political party and added that the closure case was the worst thing to harm Turkey`s esteem in the world.
WE MUST THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT ITS CONSEQUENCES
Asked about the closure case, President Abdullah Gul said "everyone should very carefully assess what Turkey would gain or lose due to an attempt like this against a ruling party with such majority."
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
SURPRISE LAWSUIT AGAINST AK PARTY
Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals, took a surprising step on Friday and filed a lawsuit against the Justice & Development (AK) Party. The chief prosecutor accused the party of "being a focal point of anti-secular activities", and demanded five-year political ban for 71 people, including President Abdullah Gul and PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Constitutional Court will hand out the 160-page indictment to its members on Monday, and launch the process.
WORLD IN SHOCK: THIS IS INSANE
U.S. Department of State executive Matt Bryza said voters set the political future of a country in democracies, and the voters said their world and it should be respected. Bryza said Turkish democracy is strong, it has been tested and it emerged more stronger.
Joost Lagendijk, the chair of Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, said the case represents an old mentality that could not get adjusted to the 21st century. It is a stroke on Turkey`s image in Europe, Lagendijk said.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
-------------------------
CLOSE THE NATION IF YOU CAN!
Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals, filed a lawsuit to close the Justice & Development (AK) Party for it made constitutional amendments and passed laws. Claiming that the AK Party, which is ruling Turkey for six years, "has become the focal point of anti-secular activities", the chief prosecutor demanded political ban for 71 people including President Abdullah Gul and PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Professor Ergun Ozbudun, the chairman of the Constitutional Committee of Turkish Parliament, gave the most ironical answer: "The best way is to close the nation. None of these reasons can be a reason to shut a political party down."
CHENEY`S MARCH 16 CODES
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will go to Israel on March 16th and be in Turkey on March 19th. On March 16th, 2002, Cheney toured the Middle East and on March 19th the same year he visited Turkey. That night, the United States started to bomb Iraq.
(TÇ-BRC)