Turkey's constitutional court is considering a case to close the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) and ban 71 of its politicians from politics.

The charge is that they are trying to impose sharia law on the country. Those facing a ban include the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a one-time Islamist firebrand, whose expulsion from politics is probably the most ardently desired goal of those behind the move. The court is expected to rule by November.