Liquidation of Turkey’s Ruling Party May Hinder its Admission to EU

Azerbaijan, Baku, 10 April / corr. Trend R. Hafizoglu, E. Tanriverdiyeva/ The liquidation of Turkey's Ruling Party could hinder the Turkish admission to the European Union and create an increase in PKK terrorism. "There is a real danger that any decision to close the AK Party will effectively put an end to Turkey's hopes of joining the European Union," James Ker-Lindsay, the professor of Kingston University of England said to Trend .

On 31 March, the Constitutional Court of Turkey executed a ban on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) after the People' Republic Party and National Movement Party accused the AK Party of pro-Islamic policy which contradicts the Constitution and demanded that the Party be banned.

"The European Commission has already stated its serious concerns over the move to try to ban the party, and many of the member states are also extremely concerned about the current development," James Ker-Lindsay said by e-mail from London. He believes that a decision to ban a political party that operates within the boundaries of democratic politics and does not advocate violence is inconsistent with democratic practices.

"The ban of the AK Party could affect the Turkey-EU relations," he said. According to the expert, any move to ban the AKP will be seen in a bad light by many of Turkey's Kurdish population, who will view it as further evidence that the country is not in fact open to democratic and peaceful change.

The expert believes that ban of the party may be considered by Kurds as a violation of democratic values and principles, that may lead to contradictions amongst the Turks and Kurds in Turkey.

Ahmat Yonluyer, religious leader of Turkish community in Cyprus, believes that closing down of the ruling party not only hinders the joining of Turkey to the European Union, but may also cause a delay in the settlement of the Cyprus problem. Yonluyer did not exclude the start of political tension in Turkey. "This, in its turn, will negatively affect the status of Cyprus," Yonluyer stated to Trend by telephone from Lefkosh, Nicosia.

Liquidation of the party will weaken the Turkish Government and make its enemies - PKK terrorists - active. The political chaos and anarchy affects its interior and foreign policy. The closing down of the AK Party means the fall of democracy and victory for anarchy in Turkey," he noted.

The Constitutional Court has given the AK Party a month to validate its activity. The AK Party developed a special plan to continue its activity during the meeting on 6 April.

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