ANKARA: Turkey’s top court on Wednesday annulled some parts of a government-backed package of reforms intended to overhaul the constitution, but rejected an opposition appeal to throw out the entire package.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan says the reforms are designed to deepen democracy and help meet requirements for Turkey to join the European Union. Secularist critics see the reforms as an attempt by Erdogan’s AK Party to seize control of all levers of the state and undermine Turkey’s secular principles.

The court’s chairman Hasim Kilic told a news conference the reform charter, barring annulled parts, would now go to a referendum as planned.