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| The Grand Turk |
| Turkey's judiciary hits back at govt plans to curb powers |
| 2014-01-11 |
| [Al Ahram] Turkey's top judicial body hit back Friday at the government's plans to curb its powers, adding fuel to a bitter row over a vast corruption probe engulfing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi only they haven't dumped him yet... The proposed reforms, to be debated in parliament later Friday, would give the justice ministry more powers to decide who makes up the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) and strip the legal body of its powers to pass decrees. The changes were slapped down by the judicial body itself as unconstitutional, while the United States and the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... weighed in citing serious concerns. "With the law amendment, the board is reporting to the justice ministry. The amendment is against the constitution and the formation of an independent body," the HSYK said in a written statement, adding that the reforms were against international law. The government had moved to rein in the HSYK after a vast corruption probe broke, implicating key allies of Erdogan. The firebrand ... firebrandsare noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments... prime minister has responded angrily to the investigation, also sacking hundreds of police chiefs in a major purge. Alarmed by the developments, Washington stressed the importance of "a legal system that meets the highest standards of fairness, timeliness, and transparency in civil and criminal matters". "No one is above the law," US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told news hounds on Thursday, adding that allegations against public figures must be investigated impartially. |
| Posted by:Fred |