THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey's prime minister made a "determined and intense" effort to undermine the country's founding principle of secularism, the country's constitutional court has ruled.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the Justice and Welfare Party (AKP) who won a sweeping election victory last year, became the first prime minister ever to face legal criticism for breaching the secular provisions of the constitution.
Turkey's highest court had been asked to ban the AKP altogether and prevent Mr Erdogan from having any role in politics for five years. The judges refrained from imposing these penalties, choosing instead to fine the AKP, which has Islamist roots.
When the Court explained its decision on Friday, the justices said that Mr Erdogan had been guilty of "determined and intense activities" against article 68 of the constitution, which establishes Turkey as a secular state. >>> By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor | October 25, 2008
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