Updated

Media reports say Turkey's highest court has annulled legislation that would have closed down private schools linked to a movement led by a U.S.-based Muslim cleric.

The Constitutional Court's ruling late Monday comes as a blow to the government's battle against a group it accuses of attempting to destabilize it.

The law would have shut down thousands of institutions that prepare high school students for Turkey's highly competitive university entrance exam. Critics said that with the measure, the government aimed to strip the movement of a major source of income and influence.

The ruling was reported by pro-government and other media. The court is expected to announce the reasoning for its decision on Wednesday.

The government accuses the movement of orchestrating a corruption scandal in 2013 to topple it.