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Turkish Prosecutor Moves to Ban Pro-Kurd Political Party

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Turkish media say the prosecutor's office has started a legal process to shut the country's main pro-Kurdish political party, alleging it has ties to Kurdish rebels.

The reports say Turkey's chief prosecutor, Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, filed a case at the Constitutional Court to ban the Democratic Society Party - the DTP.

The move follows the DTP's call for autonomy for the mainly Kurdish region of southeastern Turkey as a way to resolve more than two decades of separatist violence spearheaded by the Kurdistan Workers Party - the PKK.

In the past, Turkey has banned pro-Kurdish parties for links to PKK rebels.

Turkey has been pressing Iraq to crack down on PKK guerrillas who shelter in northern Iraq.

Turkey has also threatened cross-border military operations against the PKK.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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