WORLD BRIEFING / TURKEY
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A Turkish court ruled that President Abdullah Gul should stand trial in a decade-old fraud case, a move that could fuel animosity between the Islamist-rooted government and secularists.
As president, Gul enjoys immunity. But the pursuance of an old case involving millions of dollars in missing party funds could heighten tension in the nation as it pushes for membership in the European Union. The ruling AK Party has long faced opposition from the secularist establishment, which includes army generals, judges and academics.
The court decision came as a surprise. Gul’s office rejected the ruling, saying that the constitution allowed the president to be tried only for treason.
A court of appeals now will have final say.
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