Has Erdoğan convinced EU of the existence of a ‘parallel state’?


Date posted: January 23, 2014

GÜNAY HİLAL AYGÜN

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a visit to Brussels this week to meet officials from the European Union. The talks between Erdoğan and EU officials were considered to be crucial by many in terms of Turkey’s accession bid to become a member of the EU, since it was Erdoğan’s first visit to Brussels in five years.

What made the visit more crucial was in fact the latest exchange of words between Erdoğan and top EU officials. Following the recent developments in Turkey after a major corruption investigation that broke out on Dec. 17, 2013, which forced three ministers resign, representatives of the EU expressed their concerns regarding the Turkish government’s handling of the situation. On Dec. 27, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle issued a statement urging Turkey to ensure that the country’s ongoing corruption investigation is conducted in a transparent and impartial manner.

Füle made another statement last week on his Twitter account, saying had discussed with Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland “common concerns about recent developments in Turkey regarding rule of law & independence of judiciary.” Those statements came amid the Erdoğan government’s attempts to dominate the judiciary by drafting a bill to transfer the powers of the Supreme Court of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) to the Ministry of Justice and through a major purge among police and prosecutors, including the prosecutors who launched the corruption and bribery investigation that has shaken the government.

Milliyet columnist Kadri Gürsel wrote on Thursday that it seems like Erdoğan was not able to convince EU officials that his government was a victim of a coup attempt by a “parallel state.” Gürsel added that the response to Erdoğan were slightly harsh warnings in a considerate manner. According to Gürsel, the EU officials probably realized that a coup attempt could not have been broken up by removing prosecutors from relevant cases and it was clear that none of the judicial practices violated the law during the process of the corruption investigation. Gürsel quoted Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, as saying: “In our talks we addressed the current developments in Turkey since Dec. 17. I stressed that Turkey as a candidate country is committed to respect the political criteria of accession, including the application of the rule of law and separation of powers. It is important not to backtrack on achievements and to assure that the judiciary is able to function without discrimination or preference, in a transparent and impartial manner and I welcome the further dialogue on this between Turkey and the European Union.”

Gürsel also wrote that EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated in his remarks that Erdoğan gave EU officials “reassurances of his intention to fully respect the rule of law, the independence of judiciary and … separation of powers.” “If Erdoğan sincerely reassured his counterparts that he would stick to democracy, which we hope, the first thing he should do is throw out the HSYK bill, which aims to completely dominate the judiciary,” Gürsel said.

Hürriyet’s Sedat Ergin wrote in his Thursday column that Erdoğan probably spent most of his time in Brussels trying to convince EU officials of the existence of a parallel state dominating the judiciary. According to Ergin, the Hizmet movement has now become a top issue in official talks between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the EU, reminding readers about Erdoğan’s reference to the Hizmet movement as a “parallel state.” Ergin wrote that Erdoğan had a hard time convincing the EU, who were also concerned over the revelation of documents indicating the government’s interference in the judiciary.

Source: Todays Zaman , January 23, 2014


Related News

Businessmen released following operation against Gülen movement

Based on the government’s much criticized “reasonable suspicion” law, a large number of businessmen in Uşak province were detained last week as part of an investigation into the so-called “parallel structure,” although most of them were released late on Friday night due to a lack of evidence to support a possible prosecution.

Gaza group: Oppression targeting Kimse Yok Mu harms needy the most

Gaza Peace Volunteers Association Chairman Dr. Nasser al-Sadi has expressed his frustration at a recent government decision to cancel the Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu’s (Is Anybody There?) permission to collect donations for the rest of the year, saying that the charity’s ongoing flow of aid to many regions in Turkey and abroad, including Gaza, has now come to a halt.

[Alleged] “Coup leader” Gülen’s friendships with the Catholic Church

Erdogan’s propaganda channels and instruments have been referring to Hizmet as the “Gülenist Terror Organisation” for years and over the past months, this full-fledged criminalisation campaign has often seen relations between the Hizmet network and the Catholic Church – including the Vatican – being dragged into it. This has primarily been witnessed in the most staunchly nationalist press channels.

OSCE: Excessive penalties threaten journalism in Turkey

Dunja Mijatovic, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) representative on freedom of the media, has said excessive penalties against journalists may threaten investigative journalism and freedom of speech in Turkey. Mijatovic spoke against an investigation targeting Taraf journalist Mehmet Baransu for reporting on a confidential National Security Council (MGK) document that mentioned a planned crackdown on faith-based groups in Turkey.

Bilal Erdogan: Italy names Turkish president’s son in money laundering investigation allegedly connected to political corruption

Bilal Erdigan, son of the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, is under investigation in Italy for money laundering, in connection, it has been claimed, with the 2013 corruption scandal that rocked the Turkish political establishment. The Bologna public prosecutor has opened a file on Bilal Erdogan after a key opponent of the Turkish regime officially denounced the president’s son, alleging he brought in large amounts of money to Italy last September to be recycled.

Dr. Reuven Firestone Interviewed by Muslim Turkish Movement “Hizmet”

Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Ph.D., Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam at the Jack H. Skirball Campus of HUC-JIR in Los Angeles, was interviewed by a Muslim Turkish Movement called Hizmet, which means “service.” Hizmet is active in interfaith dialogue in Turkey and many other countries, and has built private and charter schools in many countries, […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

A helping hand to orphan leader’s country Benin

Renewing Islam by Service: A Christian View of Fethullah Gulen with Pim Valkenberg

Samples of Kimse Yok Mu Ramadan Aid Activities Worldwide (II)

Lawyers for Gulen Call Flynn’s Comments ‘Troubling’

Alliance for Shared Values Statement on Detention of Turkish Nationals in Kosovo and Their Imminent Transfer to Turkey

Erdoğan…a factionist PM?

Woman with soft tissue tumor held in Ankara prison for 8 months: report

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News