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

Fethullah Gulen says will return to Turkey if US backs extradition

Calling for an international probe into the accusation, Gulen told ZDF that he would be ready to answer to such an investigation. “If their accusations stand, then I will accept what they want. But they have neither succeeded in showing any concrete proof nor given an answer to my suggestion. Therefore, these are all just mere assertions,” he said.

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

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.

Diverging points between AKP and Hizmet movement: Kurdish question

The fundamental difference Popp observed is that while the government has been trying to persuade the PKK to lay down its guns, the Gulen movement goes one step further and works to remove the social and cultural problems that caused the Kurdish problem.

“Hizmet Movement making tremendous contributions to Muslim culture”

The Hizmet Movement, as an organization, with Fethullah Gulen’s inspiration for the movement, is a bright light for the Muslim-American community because of the focus of the organization in doing community service through relief work, and in focusing on education, in scientific education in particular, and also, with regards to interfaith and intercultural exchange.

AKP: What is next?

Neither Erdoğan nor his bureaucrats could convince the public that their plan was educational, and not an attempt to punish the Hizmet movement. Gül, Arınç and several of Erdoğan’s ministers couldn’t stop Erdoğan, who started a war against the Hizmet movement and even directly attacked Fethullah Gülen by taking remarks Gülen made about the headscarf ban 15 years ago completely out of context.

In Blow to Erdogan, Turkish Court Halts Closing of Schools Tied to His Rival

In a blow to the government, Turkey’s highest court has overturned a law that would have closed thousands of preparatory schools linked to an influential Muslim cleric and rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

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

In Case You Missed It

Visually impaired journalist’s letter shows he can barely survive in prison

Aydan Meydan from Bosna Sema School won the “Inspiring Educator Award”!

Cops vs. robbers [in Turkey]

Time to Help delivers food to refugees arriving in Nickelsdorf

Albania deports Gülen follower at Turkey’s request despite court rejection of extradition

Academics, civil society call for freer, more diverse universities in new law

Fethullah Gülen’s dialogue and tolerance discourse parallels Gandhi’s

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News