Turkey's AK Party expects to be closed - sources

By Paul de Bendern

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling party has begun to expect that the Constitutional Court will close it down in the next few months and ban the prime minister from politics, and is now searching for a way to hold onto power, senior party members have told Reuters.

Turkey was plunged into political turmoil in March when the Constitutional Court accepted a case by the Court of Appeals' chief prosecutor, who seeks the closure of the AK Party.

He also wants 71 party members banned, including President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, over accusations they breached Turkey's secular constitution by supporting Islamist activities.

After weeks of upbeat statements, the Islamist-rooted AK Party now believes its chances for survival are bleak, and has begun planning how to return to power as a new movement.

"The AK Party will be closed, Erdogan is expected to be banned and some other members too," a government minister, who declined to be named, told Reuters. "This view is shared by many in the cabinet."

Another senior AK Party member agreed, adding that there was a high possibility that Gul, who was elected by parliament last year, would also be banned from belonging to a political party for five years. As Gul is president, any ban would take effect only once his term ends.

"I'm very worried for Turkey's future, but our fate lies in the hands of the 11 judges and we can only predict what they will decide," the senior AK Party member, who declined to be named, told Reuters. "The mood is very dark in the party."

The court has not commented, apart from criticising those who have sought to exert pressure on the judges.