New party founded by Turkish Islamists

Supporters of the pro-Islamist Welfare party in Turkey have applied to the Interior Ministry to found a new political party -- to be called the Virtue party.

The move came as Turkey's Supreme Court considers whether Welfare should be closed down, after it had been accused of activities undermining the state.

Thirty-four people -- some of them close to the Welfare Party leader, Necmettin Erbakan -- submitted the application for the new group.

Correspondents say the Supreme Court is expected to rule against Welfare; they say the Virtue party is expected to be one of several trying to take over its members.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service