ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday ruled out calling snap general elections after state prosecutors moved to outlaw his Islamist-rooted ruling party.
"The elections will be held in their normal time," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with visiting Estonian counterpart Andrus Ansip.
"There is stability and confidence in the country at present and we will not allow it to be disrupted... We keep moving forward with confident steps," he added.
Turkey's chief prosecutor filed an indictment at the Constitutional Court Friday, calling for Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) to be outlawed for anti-secular activities.
The prosecutor argues that the AKP, which was re-elected for a second five-year term in July, is turning its religious rhetoric into action in a bid to replace Turkey's secular system with an "Islamist-inspired" government.
He called also for 71 people, among them Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, to be barred from politics.
The AKP, an offshoot of a now-banned Islamist party, has disowned its roots and pledged commitment to secularism.
But some of its actions, such as a legal amendment last month allowing university students to wear the Islamic headscarf, keeps suspicions alive that it harbours Islamist ambitions.
su/ach
03/17/2008 17:02 GMT