Rapporteur Releases Report on AK Indictment

Constitutional Court Rapporteur Osman Can released his report Thursday evening as to whether the Court should accept the closure case currently pending against AKP. Can recommended that the Court should hear the closure case, but apparently stressed concerns about the evidence collected by Chief Prosector Yalçınkaya. Although the report is not public, it was leaked that Can stressed the fact that under Article 174 of Turkey's Code on Criminal Procedure (CMK) it is required that the indictment provide concrete evidence. The significance of this is that it indicates the report was concerned with a lack of solid evidence against AKP. Also significant to the report is the political ban facing President Gül and whether he might be banned from politics based on acts in which he engaged prior to his presidency.

A decision by the Constitutional Court to accept the case is expected as early as Monday and will require a majority of the Court's 11 judges. If the case is accepted, at least seven judges must decide to rule against AKP if the party is to be closed.