Duezgit, Senem Aydin2024-07-182024-07-1820080393-27291751-9721https://doi.org/10.1080/03932720802486365https://hdl.handle.net/11411/8776Against expectations, in July 2008, the Constitutional Court in Turkey ruled against banning the AKP. The decision of the Court needs to be interpreted against a background of closely intertwined internal and domestic constraints. While the risk of political and economic crises, lack of a credible political opposition, high public opposition to the closure of the party and prospects of further polarisation in society constitute the main domestic determinants, the implications of a potential ban on the country's relations, primarily with Europe, namely the EU and the Council of Europe, are also major external constraints behind the Court's final decision.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessArticle2-s2.0-8502366235810.1080/03932720802486365+4Q22543N/AWOS:000210855800003