Cicek delivers AKP's oral defense

Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday delivered a six-hour plus oral defense in the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Bekir Bozdag, the AKP's parliamentary group deputy head, was also present at the Constitutional Court hearing. "I gave our defense on the case seeking closure of the party," Cicek said. "We argued that the charges against the AKP were not credible, accurate or legal and should never have been filed in the first place." Saying that the defense rested on Constitutional Court precedent, human rights law, and Turkish law, he added that now everyone must wait for the court's decision. "The AKP is the ruling party," he said. "Explaining the problems a delay in the ruling would cause, we asked that the case be concluded as soon as possible."