Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş has summoned Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son, Bilal Erdoğan, to make a statement as part of the investigation he has launched into corruption and bribery. In the written summons issued by the prosecutor, is stated that Bilal Erdoğan is being summoned in the capacity of suspect.

It is not unheard of in Turkey for people to be summoned to give a statement to the public prosecutor and then be taken directly into detention. We will see what happens. The noose is tightening and Erdoğan the father appears to be the ultimate target. I wonder how they will get round the latter’s parliamentary immunity?

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/2298 ... risi_.html

Today (2 January) is apparently the day on which Erdoğan’s son was ordered to appear before the public prosecutor.

It was stated in the summons, “Notification is made that, as your statement will be taken in the capacity of suspect by this Chief Prosecutor’s Office with regard to the offences of creating a Criminal Organisation for the purpose of gain and membership of the organisation, you are to report to this Chief Prosecutor’s Office on the stated date, and, if you do not appear, you will be brought by force.”

http://birgun.net/haber/ifadeye-gitmez-misin-9313.html

[Tim Drayton]

And Bilal Erdoğan did not show up to make a statement to the public prosecution.

http://haber.sol.org.tr/devlet-ve-siyas ... beri-85298

[repulsewarrior]

...you have to hand it to the Turkish State, their command of words is always impressive even as a translation, (because i imagine the original notification was written in Turkish); what a beautiful sentence. there is a Rule of Law, at least there is the capacity, it will be tested and put to the brink because there is and was a deep state, now and before, in Opposition or Leadership. it is now becoming clear, as an establishment flawed having gone on for too long, the evident corruption.

[Tim Drayton]

The Chief of the General Staff in Turkey seems now to have waded into in the post-modern battle being fought out through judicial means in making a complaint to the Ankara Republic Chief Prosecution about crimes alleged to have been committed during a number of high-profile cases in which large numbers of serving and retired military officers were convicted.

The complaint includes allegations such as: “In cases in which serving and retired Turkish Armed Forces staff were tried, evidence of guilt was fabricated in a manner so as to target the Turkish Armed Forces, the judicial police, prosecutors and judges serving on the trials did not take the views of the defence into consideration and evidence of guilt was manipulated.”

http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/genel ... ti-1169019

[Tim Drayton]

...you have to hand it to the Turkish State, their command of words is always impressive even as a translation, (because i imagine the original notification was written in Turkish); what a beautiful sentence. there is a Rule of Law, at least there is the capacity, it will be tested and put to the brink because there is and was a deep state, now and before, in Opposition or Leadership. it is now becoming clear, as an establishment flawed having gone on for too long, the evident corruption.

Yes, this is my translation.

[repulsewarrior]

...thanks Tim, as always all the readership is indebted to you.

big news, what with Constitutional Reform still an open-question, what is Erdogan's Army, is not. in this open opposition, it is the People who have the power to speak-up, against him.

...although i suspect that this imbroglio like the corruption charges pending, will wind themselves through the courts more slowly than a deadline for elections. whether Erdogan will run for President remains to be seen at this point, and what of Gul, quite silent it seems, nowadays.

[repulsewarrior]

...and to throw a fly in the ointment:

The Turkish General Staff reportedly hosted the head of the Constitutional Court and other senior military judges at a dinner on Dec. 18, Turkish daily Vatan reported on Thursday.

http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Report-Turk ... I0MzgwNy80

...why would the General Staff hold this event, given the circumstances, why would they want to make it appear that there could be some influence on Judges?

[Tim Drayton]

Zaman columnist Hüseyin Gülerce, considered to be a spokesman of the Gülen movement, has made the following comment on Twitter:

“Let everyone, up until the Presidential election, be ready for strife and turmoil never before witnessed on this soil in the history of the Republic.”

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/2527 ... hocepojqgt

[bill cobbett]

This political interference in the judiciary, this blurring by PM Erdogan of the separation of powers, should worry any democrat in Turkey... presumably there must be a few of those.

It certainly worries the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament who says today...

" ... Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek has deplored the end of judicial independence in Turkey in an overt reference to the ongoing argument over a conflict between the judiciary and the executive that has flared up as part of a fight between the government and the Hizmet Movement. ..."

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkis ... sCatID=338

[repulsewarrior]

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2014/01/turkey-ex-minister-resignation-arbitrary-rule.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8843

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/01/turkey-erdogan-corruption-investigation.html

...for the record.