Top judges at work, nation awaits verdict

The fate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will be decided within days, as the top court began deliberating yesterday about whether to close down the party on charges of being a focal point of anti-secular activity. The closed-door session of 11 judges started at 09:35 at the Constitutional Court, where heavy security measures were taken after the deadly blast in Istanbul that killed 17 people late Sunday. It is uncertain when the court will conclude deliberations and announce the verdict, for which Turkish politicians, the European Union, and foreign and local investors are waiting.