(Presseerkläung) The ruling of the Turkish Constitutional Court not to ban the ruling AK Party, deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group Walter Kolbow:
Turkey's Constitutional Court ruling strengthens European orientation of Turkey
The SPD welcomed the fact that the highest Turkish Court ultimately prevailed but the reason, even if the decision turned out only the narrowest of margins. A ban on the AKP, Turkey undoubtedly fallen into a deep crisis and slowed their way to Europe-sensitive. Also the mediation efforts between Israel and Syria, Turkey would get it in danger.
A ban on AKP would be formally legally permissible been the legal basis but would be more than questionable. With European legal standards, which have gradually take over Turkey in its EU accession process has to the recent ban on Turkish party rules to do nothing. It is now high time that these absurd to create rules in a further step towards reform.
As elsewhere in the world must be in Turkey a religious orientation of political parties be allowed. So far, not to see that the AKP to seeking an anti-democratic radical Islamist theocracy ideology. The government Gul / Erdogan has long been proved by practical politics, that is their orientation towards the West and modernization of Turkey more at heart than some self-appointed guardians of a solidified reactionary Kemalism.
The SPD congratulates the Turkish head of state in that case and encouraged the leadership of the AKP, its European-oriented way through further bold reforms continue. This means a modernization of the Constitution as a fundamental improvement in the human rights situation and the relationship with the Kurdish population. The ruling makes it clear that the government must resist any efforts that try to abuse the Islamic orientation to soften secular principles and social freedoms, particularly women, to limit.
