News

Turkey's Constitutional Court is considering whether to ban the country's leading Kurdish party.

Prosecutors accuse the Democratic Society Party (DTP), which holds 21 seats in the 550-member parliament, of supporting Kurdish separatist rebels.

The 11 judges are expected to take days or weeks to reach their verdict.

Tension in the mainly Kurdish south-east of Turkey has risen in recent months despite a government drive to improve ties with the Kurdish minority.

Analysts say if the court decides to close down the DTP, it could derail Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's effort to broaden the rights of Kurdish citizens.