VOA常速英语2008年-Turkish Prosecutor Files Suit Against Ruling Pa

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
15 March 2008

Turkey's top prosecutor¹ has filed a complaint against the country's ruling Justice and Development Party, the AKP, aiming to ban it from politics. The prosecutor accuses the party of seeking to undermine the country's secular² state. As Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the case comes less than one year after the party won a landslide³ victory in national elections.

 

In a 162-page document, top prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya calls for the closure of the Justice and Development party or AKP, for systematically⁴ undermining the secular principles of the Turkish state.

The prosecutor's complaint also calls for Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and its president, Abdullah Gul, to be barred from politics, along with about 70 other leading members of the AKP.

Speaking at a party meeting in southern Turkey, Prime Minister Erdogan condemned⁵ the case.

"The action taken yesterday is not aimed at the Justice and Development Party but the will of the nation," Mr. Erdogan said. "No one can say that we are the focal point of anti-secular activities."

The case is shocking to many Turks, with much of the media condemning⁶ it. It comes as tensions are escalating⁷ between the secular establishment - including the military and the courts - and the Islamic-rooted AK party.

Last month, the prime minister pushed through parliament constitutional amendments⁸ easing the ban on women's religious headscarves in universities.

Polls indicate there is strong support for the reform. But political commentator⁹ Murat Yetkin says because the reform was rushed through parliament, secularists are concerned about where the government is heading.

"There will be escalation¹⁰ in tension in many sectors¹¹ of society. I don't think the reaction will be limited to public demonstrations," said Yetkin.

Although Turkey is largely Muslim, it has been a strictly¹² secular state since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded modern Turkey in 1923. It is unclear whether the constitutional court will accept the closure case, but the head of the country's constitutional court, Hasan Killic, said it will be treated like any other case.

 

Kilic says procedures followed in previous lawsuits¹³ demanding the closure of political parties will be followed in this case.

 

Since the 1982 constitution, 18 political parties have been banned, including two Islamist parties in the last decade. The prime minister and president were members of both.

If the constitutional court agrees to hear the case, it is expected to deliberate for months.

1 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

2 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

3 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

4 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

8 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

9 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

10 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

11 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

13 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句