EU warns Turkey not to prosecute AKP

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NICOSIA, Cyprus — The European Union is warning Turkey that a trial to ban the governing party could jeopardize its membership application.

Turkey's highest court decided last week to start a potentially crisis-provoking trial that could ban the country's top officials and their party from politics on grounds of anti-secularism.

The EU warning was formally delivered by Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn over the weekend, spurring Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to snap in a public speech Monday that "Turkey would have nothing to lose if Europe keeps it out. The EU would be the loser."

According to Mr. Rehn, a trial of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power since 2002, should not commence because "such disputes should be resolved through the ballot box and not by the courts."

The 11-member Constitutional Court has accused the AKP of trying to install an Islamic state.

The statements have plunged the already wobbly relations between the European Union and Turkey to what some diplomats describe as "a new and dangerous low."

Diplomatic sources noted "an alarming enlargement fatigue" by the European Commission in Brussels — and a growing disinterest in Turkey to Europe's reaction to the trial.

Turkey's pessimism about its membership chances has been increased by the latest opinion polls showing that 59 percent of EU citizens oppose the accession process, already stuck on eight major policy issues, including the refusal to admit ships and aircraft from Cyprus, an EU member.

Two key European leaders, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, are on record as opposing Turkey's application for various reasons, including its geographic position, Islam's position as the dominant religion and insufficient democratic credentials.

Turkey's search for major constitutional reform has been affected by the trial of the AKP and of 71 of its leading officials on charges of trying to introduce measures to pave the way for Shariah, or Islamic law. The officials include Mr. Erdogan as well as President Abdullah Gul.

The 162-page indictment by Turkey's chief prosecutor has purported violations of the country's secular system by major acts as well as such minor issues as favoring university entrance by graduates of Islamic schools as well as ban on liquor sales in some municipalities. One of the key issues was the lifting of the ban on head scarves worn by female university students.

Mr. Erdogan has called the forthcoming trial of his party "an attack on democracy."

The party and its leadership have decided to continue instituting reforms independently of the threat of its dissolution and Turkey's difficulties with the European Union.

Mr. Erdogan said he would speed up reforms required by the European Union, and on Wednesday, the AKP submitted to parliament a law to amend the controversial article 301 of the penal code, under which dozens of journalists and writers have been prosecuted for "insulting Turkishness."

"Other steps which will bring Turkish democracy forward will follow on a fast track," Mr. Erdogan said.