Turkey's constitutional court decided on July 30 2008 not to close down the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party, as requested by the country's chief prosecutor on accusations of being a focal point of anti-secular activities, local media reported.

The court thus terminated a major case that has brought about considerable political instability to the country over the past few months.

However, the judges decided to impose financial sanctions on the AK.

Six of the judges voted to disband the party, remaining only a vote short of the necessary figure to enforce such a ruling. Seven out of the eleven constitutional judges needed to vote in favour for the court to reach a decision.

“Six members of the constitutional court voted to close the political party while four others voted for depriving the party of the financial assistance of the treasury instead of its dissolution. Accordingly, the AK will be deprived of the financial assistance with an amount equal to half of the last assistance,” court chairman Hasim Kilic told a news conference as quoted by daily Hurriyet, also saying he himself has voted against the closure.

The AK, this way, evaded a ruling that, apart from its disbanding, could have seen 71 of its members, including prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and president Abdullah Gul, banned from political activity for five years.

Kilic defined the ruling of the court as a “serious warning” to the AK. “It is not a decision to close down the party, but it is a serious warning,” Hurriyet quoted him as saying.