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Court orders filing of charges against Erdogan

ANKARA (Turkey): The head of Turkey's Constitutional Court said on Wednesday it would ask prosecutors to file charges against the Prime Minister for allegedly questioning the partiality of the court and exceeding ``boundaries of respect.''

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had on Tuesday said a decision by the court to cancel a presidential vote earlier this month was a ``disgrace to the justice system".

``Yes, we will appeal'' to the prosecutor's office to file criminal charges against the Prime Minister, said Tulay Tugcu, chief of the Constitutional Court, in response to a question about whether the court planned legal action.

Mr. Tugcu said Mr. Erdogan's remarks ``exceeded the boundaries of criticism and respect.''

``They are directly making our court a target,'' Mr. Tugcu said.

Mr. Erdogan was criticising a decision by the court earlier this month that invalidated a first round presidential vote in Parliament on the grounds that a quorum was not present.

The country's fiercely secular establishment opposed the Islamist-rooted ruling party's candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Before the court ruling to annul the vote, the military had posted a statement on its Web site hinting that it was prepared to intervene to safeguard Turkey's secular system.

Earlier this month, Mr. Erdogan criticised the court's decision, saying it was ``a bullet fired at democracy.'' He later backed away from that statement and said his words were aimed at the secular Opposition, apparently out of concern that prosecutors could file charges for insulting the state body, which is a crime in Turkey. — AP

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