ANKARA, March 31: Turkey’s top court on Monday unanimously voted to hear a case for a ban on the country’s Islamic-rooted ruling party, a decision that could lead to months of political uncertainty in a nation divided over the role of Islam in society.

The 11-member Constitutional Court decided unanimously to hear the case for dissolving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party on grounds that it is threatening Turkey’s secular principles, deputy court chairman Osman Paksut said.

The case highlights the power struggle between Turkey’s secular establishment, including the judiciary and powerful military, and Erdogan and his allies, pious Muslims who advocate political and economic reforms as part of bid to be a member of the European Union.

The governing Justice and Development Party now has one month to prepare its initial defence in the case, but can ask the court for an extension.

The party has 330 seats in the 550-seat parliament.

If dissolved by the court, its members could regroup as a new party and form a new government.

A ban on the party, however, could slow or derail government policies, including reforms linked to Turkey’s bid to join the EU.

It could also hurt the party before local elections next year.

The court twice before has closed political parties deemed to be anti-secular, one in 1998 and one in 2001.

Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party is the successor of those parties and has wide support, having won 47 per cent in last year’s general elections.

Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, of the High Court of Appeals, asked that Justice and Development be shut down and accused the party of fomenting “anti-secular activities,” including lifting a ban on women’s head scarves in universities and attempts to roll back restrictions on religious education.

The prosecutor also asked the court to bar 71 people from politics for five years, including Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul. The court voted 7-4 to consider the case against Gul, and voted unanimously to hear the case against the other 70 people, Paksut said.

If Gul is banned, he can still serve as president as the post is traditionally apolitical.

The situation for Erdogan and other politicians would be less certain.

The country’s military, judicial and administrative establishment has been traditionally secular since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established Turkey from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.—AP