Turkish Constitutional Court Grants Justice Party 15 Days to Defend Itself

The Turkish Constitutional Court has given the Justice and Development Party, the country's Islamist party, 15 days to present its defense against the government's action to ban the party. Turkish prosecutors are seeking to dissolve the party on the grounds that it aims to move the country away from the traditional policy of separating religion from state and to establish an Islamic government in Turkey. They are also asking the court to remove Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the party leader, from his position. Mr. Erdoğan was previously sentenced to prison for reading a poem in public, which government officials deemed provocative. On Sunday, Erdoğan was barred from participating in parliamentary elections by court order, but he remains the leader of the Justice and Development Party, and polls indicate that his party is on the verge of a significant electoral victory. Party leaders emphasize social justice in their agenda rather than religion. They claim to support Turkey's membership in the European Union. The European Union has criticized the Turkish government's actions to bar Erdoğan from elections and its attempts to ban his party and other political parties in Turkey.