Turkish Islamists face new charges

The Turkish authorities have taken further action in their campaign to counter the influence of Islamist groups in the secular life of the country.

After closing down the country's largest political party -- the Islamist Welfare party -- earlier this year, they have launched legal proceedings aimed at shutting down the main Islamist business association Musiad.

State prosecutors have accused the group of anti-secular activities and have charged its chairman with inciting hatred over criticisms he made of curbs on religious education.

The BBC Ankara correspondent says the secular elite in Turkey believes the association was a strong financial supporter of the Islamist former prime minister, Necmettin Erbakan, who was forced from power almost a year ago under pressure from the army.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service