Overview

Seeking EU membership, Turkey has been trying to keep its politics on the up and up for quite a few years now.  As things start to smooth out on Cyprus and human rights abuses against the Kurds seem less common, it seemed that Turkey had achieved a level of stability that would hurry it ascension to the EU.  However, that momentum seems to be quashed as the high court is considering outlawing the AK party – the current ruling party of the nation.  Turkey has multiple provisions that are intended to ensure that the government remains secular, and has banned parties with Islamist leanings before;, however, this would represent the first time that the president, PM and majority of parliament would all be a part of the banned party.  As such, the potential ruling of the court will not only immediately threaten the stability of Turkey, but also may hamper the long-term ambitions of the nation’s leaders.