European Parliament approves tough Turkey report

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Parliament (EP) approved on Wednesday, March 12, a report criticizing Turkey for setbacks in freedom of speech, separation of powers and the rule of law as well as the government's response to a massive corruption investigation implicating Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and members of his inner circle, according to Today's Zaman.

The report expressed concern that two controversial laws passed in Parliament in the aftermath of the corruption investigation, which erupted with a wave of detentions on Dec. 17, “are taking Turkey away from its path towards the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria.”

The new laws, one on the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) and the other on the regulation of the Internet, have also faced severe criticism at home, with detractors arguing the laws are meant to expand government control over judicial appointments and Internet content at the expense of freedoms and the principle of separation of powers.

The report, written by Dutch Christian Democrat parliamentarian Ria Oomen-Ruijten, and several amendments to the report were approved with 475 votes for to 153 against, with 43 abstentions, in Strasbourg.

Six of the 24 proposed amendments were approved in Wednesday's vote.

"Turkey has embarked on reform for the benefit of its own citizens. Recent developments in the area of fundamental freedoms, independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression and others are however a cause of grave concern for us. We now need a serious, constructive dialogue with Turkey on these subjects and Turkey needs to show true commitment to its European aspirations and to the values upon which the EU is founded," said Turkey rapporteur Oomen-Ruijten, according to an EP press release issued on Wednesday.

Speaking during debate before the resolution's approval on Tuesday in Strasbourg, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle said the Turkish government's way of handling the corruption probe is a serious cause for concern.

“Unfortunately, as I said, there have also been reasons for serious concern. They relate first and foremost to the government's response to the recent corruption allegations, in particular the adoption of legislation which affects the functioning of the judiciary and freedom of expression,” Füle said, according to Today's Zaman.

The EP report expresses concerns “at the recent developments in Turkey with regard to allegations of high-level corruption; regrets the removal of the prosecutors and police officers in charge of the original investigations, as this goes against the fundamental principle of an independent judiciary and deeply affects the prospects of credible investigations; considers regrettable the serious breakdown of trust between the government, the judiciary, the police, and the media; urges the Government of Turkey, therefore, to show full commitment to democratic principles and refrain from any further interference in the investigation and prosecution of corruption.”

The resolution on the report says the Internet law “introduces excessive controls on, and monitoring of, internet access and has the potential to significantly impact on free expression, investigative journalism, democratic scrutiny and access to politically diverse information over the internet” and calls on Turkey to revise the law in line with European standards on media freedoms and freedom of expression.

The resolution also criticizes Turkey for “excessive violence” by the police against protesters in last summer's Gezi Park protests. The report “considers regrettable the apparent failure of the courts to penalise all those state officials and policemen responsible for excessive violence, loss of life, and serious injuries to Gezi Park protesters …”