Turkish politician charged over alleged involvement with secular extremist group News
Turkish politician charged over alleged involvement with secular extremist group

[JURIST] Turkish authorities Monday charged Turkish Workers' Party [party website, in Turkish] leader Dogu Perincek [personal website, in Turkish] for his alleged involvement with a secular extremist group suspected of plotting to overthrow the ruling government headed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) [party website, in Turkish]. Percincek, a staunch Turkish nationalist who was convicted [JURIST report] last March by a Swiss court for denying that the mass killing of 1.5 million Armenians [ANI backgrounder] constituted genocide, was charged along with several other suspects, including a former military official and a lawyer. AP has more.

The AKP, which emerged in 2001 from a banned Islamist party, holds the offices of the prime minister and president, and dominates the 550-seat parliament with 340 lawmakers. The Constitutional Court of Turkey is currently deciding whether to consider a bid [JURIST report] by Turkish Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya [official profile, in Turkish] to disband the AKP for violating constitutional obligations to keep the government secular. On Monday, an AKP official said that the party expects to introduce constitutional changes [Reuters report] in parliament this week that would prevent the party from being dissolved.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.