Verdict removes uncertainty Turkey faced: Erdogan

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday a Constitutional Court ruling not to ban the governing AK Party removed uncertainty the European Union-applicant country was facing.

In his first remarks since the court ruling, Erdogan said Turkey had suffered a serious loss of time and energy due to the case but that his party would continue to uphold the country's secular values.

Turkey's Constitutional Court rejected an attempt to close the governing AK Party but imposed financial penalties on it for anti-secular activities.

"The uncertainty which Turkey was facing has been removed by this verdict," Erdogan told reporters in a statement at his party's headquarters.

"What a pity that since the case was opened in March, Turkey has faced a serious loss of time and energy," he said.

The case had triggered months of political uncertainty in Turkey, hitting financial markets and threatening to put the brakes on the country's reform process.

"The AK Party, which has never been a focus for anti-secular activities, will continue to stand up for the fundamental values of the Republic," he said.

(Editing by Jon Boyle)