News Scan, Dec 27th 2013 – EU welcomes annulment of regulation lifting investigation secrecy
EU welcomes annulment of controversial regulation lifting investigation secrecy
The European Commission welcomed Turkey’s Council of State’s decision to annul a controversial regulation on judicial police, obliging those carrying out investigations to inform superiors.
“In recent days, the change introduced to the judicial police regulation has undermined the independence of the judiciary and its capacity to act. The application of this regulation has been suspended by the Council of State. I welcome this suspension and hope the Council’s decision will be quickly finalized,” European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle said Dec. 27.
Füle recalled through his spokesperson he had already highlighted the need to guarantee the independence and impartiality of investigations by the judiciary into any allegation of wrongdoing, including corruption. “I have also stated my concern about the removal of a large number of police officers from their duties,” he added. “I urge Turkey, as a candidate country committed to the political criteria of accession, including the application of the rule of law, to take all the necessary measures to ensure allegations of wrongdoing are addressed without discrimination or preference in a transparent and impartial manner,” said Füle.
The regulation was issued amid a graft scandal and increased concerns among lawyers that the government was intervening into the judiciary.
HURRIYET DAILY NEWS
Erdoğan says would prosecute top judicial body if he had authority
On Thursday, the HSYK has harshly criticized the new judicial police regulation, saying that it is in violation of the Turkish Constitution. It said in a statement that state institutions and executive offices must act in line with the principle of equality before the law in all of their activities, adding that an independent judiciary is a guarantee for citizens against rulers. The statement noted that the judicial check on rulers for their illegal activities is an essential part of a democratic nation and a state of rule of law.
Erdoğan lambasted the HSYK, claiming that the legal body crossed borders of its authority and violated constitution. He also harshly lashed out an İstanbul prosecutor for delivering public announcement over his removal from an ongoing corruption investigation at a press conference, deeming his press statement a crime. “He is distributing handouts of press statement to reporters. How can a prosecutor do that? I’m calling on the HSYK to prosecute this prosecutor,” said Erdoğan, slamming Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş.
“All my colleagues and the public should know that as a public prosecutor I was prevented from carrying out the investigation,” Akkaş said, adding that pressure had clearly been placed on the judiciary both from the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police, allowing an opportunity for suspects to destroy the evidence.
TODAYS ZAMAN
Corruption cracks in Turkey’s AKP as three MPs announce resignations from party
Former Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay, İzmir MP Erdal Kalkan and Ankara MP Haluk Özdalga have announced their resignations from the party after the AKP’s Central Executive Board (MYK) decided in a meeting late Dec. 26 to send them to discipline due to their “verbal and written remarks stigmatizing [the] party and the government.” The three lawmakers are joining former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin in resigning over the graft investigation in which four ministers, all replaced by a cabinet reshuffle on Dec. 25, have been implicated.
Günay, a senior figure who drew attention with his criticisms on social media following the police crackdown on demonstrators during the Gezi protests, said he was “parting ways” with the AKP. “The central executive board and the president of the party have incited us into a decision that we had difficulties to make. While the party was facing serious accusations, they have tolerated the people responsible for those accusations and sending to discipline those who were inviting them to reason. They have made the decision easier,” Günay said.
“The party evolved in two different wings: The wide base of people who have been oppressed and an overbearing mentality on the top. This mentality has no chance now. At this point, those people who have this mentality are sailing to somewhere else, guided by their arrogance. We have come to the point of parting ways,” he said.
HURRIYET DAILY NEWS
27.12.2013
This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.
