Chief Public Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya filed a demand for the closure of the DTP last November, arguing the party supported terrorism. At least seven of the 11 top court judges must vote in favor of closure for the party to be disbanded.

  The written submission consisted of two parts, containing legal and political arguments over some 50 pages. Türk is expected to read the party's defense, accompanied by jurist deputies Hasip Kaplan, Bengi Yıldız, Bahri Belen and Mebuse Tekay.

  According to the document, Türk will argue party closures are no solution to Turkey's problems and claim that such measures impede democracy.

  Political party closures are also inconsistent with the country's European Union accession goal, the Copenhagen Criteria and European Court of Human Rights decisions, Türk is expected to insist.

  Under the heading of “politics,” the DTP is set to deny it is a separatist party and defend that its much-debated “Democratic Autonomy Project” aims to democratize Turkey. The DTP will warn that its closure would only fuel the Kurdish issue.

  Party brass are expected to deny the DTP was built on Öcalan's command or that it is controlled by the PKK.

  As the DTP was preparing the defense yesterday several women from various nongovernmental organizations held demonstrations in front of the Constitutional Court to demand a non-closure decision.