Turkey’s chief prosecutor has argued in the country’s top court that the ruling Islamic-oriented party be disbanded for undermining secular principles.

Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya demands that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and 70 other party members be barred from politics for five years. Some say a decision to disband the party could throw the country into turmoil.

Yalcinkaya presented evidence verbally on Tuesday in a session that was closed to the media. The prosecutor has already presented two sets of written arguments.

Erdogan’s party rejects accusations it has been steering Turkey toward Islamic rule and is to argue in its defense on Thursday.