Ak Party Prepares Its Defense

ANKARA - The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) prepared its defense about the lawsuit filed at the Constitutional Court to put precautionary measure on duties and authorities of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sources told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that the defense would be submitted to the Constitutional Court tomorrow the latest.
In its defense, the AK Party claimed that Article 104 of the Political Parties Law was contrary to the Constitution, and requested the Court to annul the case.
Noting that there was not any connection between the request to put precautionary measure on duties and authorities of Erdogan and the closure case against the AK Party, the defense said that the Constitutional Court would take the final decision.
''As a result of recent constitutional amendments, political party closures were restricted with the Constitution. It is impossible to broaden scope of it,'' it added.
In its session on November 1, the Constitutional Court ruled that it will take a decision whether or not to put precautionary measure on duties and authorities of Erdogan after listening to the AK Party's defense, and gave a 15-day period to the AK Party to prepare its defense.
Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor's Office notified the decision of the Constitutional Court on November 4. As a result, the 15-day period will end on November 19.
The Constitutional Court will appoint a rapporteur to prepare an additional report after assessing defense of the AK Party.
Later, Constitutional Court Chief Judge Mustafa Bumin will set a date to announce the verdict about the request to put precautionary measure on duties and authorities of Erdogan.
Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu filed a lawsuit for closure of the AK Party, and requested the Constitutional Court to put precautionary measure on duties and authorities of AK Party leader Erdogan.