Thousands demonstrate against bid to ban ruling party

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

ISTANBUL (AFP) — Thousands of people demonstrated noisily Saturday in Turkey's largest city against an attempt to have the ruling party legally outlawed.

The constitutional court is to begin hearing submissions next month in the case brought by the country's chief prosecutor against the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which he accuses of trying to install an Islamist regime.

The party's supporters say the country's secular forces are trying to stage a coup through the judiciary.

Saturday's demonstration was called by left-wing organisations, rights groups and Islamists and included a cross-section of people ranging from women in Islamic headscarves to students and intellectuals.

Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya is to appear on July 1 before the...