The political crisis gripping Turkey has deepened with the bombings in Istanbul. The attacks, carried out by unknown perpetrators, came as its constitutional court began deliberating on whether to ban the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) over allegations that it is stealthily seeking to Islamise the country. Turkey’s modernity and its immediate future are at stake. A ruling to close down the AKP and ban President Abdullah Gül, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, and other officials from party activity would be tantamount to a judicial coup d’état against the electorate. The ensuing chaos would set Turkey back years.

To argue the country can muddle through a deposition of its government because the army has closed four Islamist parties in the past misunderstands the scale of the crisis. The battle between secularists and conservatives has reached a critical point. The AKP case is a gamble by a military, bureaucratic and judicial elite that feels threatened by a successful neo-Islamist party with an overwhelming mandate.