CHP holds EU responsible for democracy in Turkey

Hüseyin Hayatsever

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey’s main opposition leader has told the Swedish foreign minister that the European Union holds responsibility for growing government control of the judiciary and the persecution of journalists because of the support it gave to last year’s constitutional amendments, party sources said.

“The government has taken control of the judiciary following the constitutional amendments of 2010,” sources quoted Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as telling Carl Bildt when the two met behind closed doors yesterday.

The leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) criticized the latest EU report on Turkey’s accession progress, saying it failed to sufficiently highlight “the anti-democratic actions” of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), sources said.

“The EU did not put enough emphasis on this issue. The EU also holds responsibility for the anti-democratic environment in Turkey,” Kılıçdaroğlu was quoted as saying at the meeting.

Bildt, however, described the progress report as “balanced” and said Turkey must undertake further reforms.

Kılıçdaroğlu also advised the EU against high expectations from the new constitution process, arguing that even the current constitution was frequently violated.

“A new constitution will not solve every single problem for Turkey. For instance, the right to privacy is being violated, although it is enshrined in the current constitution,” he said, according to sources.

Without elaborating, Kılıçdaroğlu told Bildt the CHP was ready to support any “reasonable” proposals by the AKP on the Kurdish issue.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Bildt tacitly confirmed media reports that the Friends of Turkey group in the EU was working on a plan to end the deadlock in Turkey’s accession talks.

“There are some challenges and difficulties and it requires discussion both between the different countries of the EU and between the EU and Turkey,” Bildt said. “It’s hardly new in that particular aspect, but of course we are working on the different items that can keep the positive momentum on certain issues.”

via CHP holds EU responsible for democracy in Turkey – Hurriyet Daily News.