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Euro court backs Turkey Islamist ban
Ex-prime minister Erbakan claimed rights violations
Turkey did not violate human rights when it banned an Islamist political party in 1998, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.
The Welfare Party had the largest number of seats in the Turkish parliament when it was shut down, and its leader, Necmettin Erbakan, was a former prime minister.
The party took its case to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that its rights to freedom of assembly and association had been violated.
But human rights judges in Strasbourg decided by four votes to three that the ban had not violated the European Convention on Human Rights.
Recai Kutan's Virtue Party has now also been banned
The court said the Welfare Party ban could "reasonably be considered to meet a pressing social need for the protection of democratic society", as the party had declared its intention to introduce Islamic law.
"They had also left in doubt their position regarding recourse to force in order to come to power, and more particularly to retain power," the judgement added.
The party's political programme had been at odds with the Convention on Human Rights, the judges said, and Turkey had acted reasonably to prevent it being implemented.
Third ban
The decision to ban the party in 1998 for unconstitutional behaviour prompted international criticism that Turkey was acting undemocratically.
It was the third time a party led by Mr Erbakan had been banned: the National Order Party was banned in 1971 after a military coup, and the National Salvation Party was shut down in 1980 - also after a coup.
Sensitive issue
When the Welfare Party was banned, it was accused by Turkey's powerful military of secretly planning to introduce Islamic rule.
In the previous election in December 1995, it had taken more than 20% of the vote.
Turkey's human rights record is a particularly sensitive issue, as it attempts to join the European Union.
As well as concern over its political bans, the country has faced strong criticism over its treatment of its Kurdish minority.
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The BBC's Colin Blane "One of the thorniest political issues to come before the European Court of Human Rights" | |