| Submit your comments on this article |
| The Grand Turk |
| Turkey's top judges quit amid reforms |
| 2010-10-13 |
| [Iran Press TV] Seven members of Turkey's top legal administrative body have resigned as opposition within the justice system soars against the country's government-led reforms. Four permanent and three alternate members of the Higher Board of Prosecutors and Judges (HSYK) resigned on Monday, claiming that the judiciary's independence was at stake. The move comes as the judiciary body is to be re-structured in line with reforms that were endorsed in a nationwide referendum last month. "The public law has been compromised," the board's Deputy Chairman Kadir Ozbek said in a news conference on Monday. "We prepared a draft model for a new commission but we could not share it with the ministry of justice. We have not been able to express our opinions and that's why we are resigning as seven members collectively," he explained. Turkey's justice ministry immediately denied Ozbek's allegations in a statement, saying the claims were neither realistic nor in line with the result of the September 12 referendum. According to the statement, the constitutional amendment was agreed on before it entered into force and those behind the recent claims were trying to misinform the public. The commission in question is set to be revised in elections later this week. The body currently consists of 12 members who are chosen by the Council of State and the Supreme Court. The recently approved reform package will expand the commission by 15 members, 10 of whom would be selected by the government and the remaining five would be picked by the president. Analysts have described the HSYK resignations as a "tactical move" aimed at disrupting the changes and influencing the election of new members, given the fact that most of the board members are due to retire in the days to come. Turkey's judiciary, known as a protectorate of the country's secular establishment, has long been at odds with the government led by the Islamic-oriented AK Party. The Turkish government says it plans to reform the country's judiciary to bring it in line with European standards. |
| Posted by: |