Turkish Forum

Tag: corruption scandal

  • SCANDALOUS DAY AT TURKISH PARLIAMENT!

    SCANDALOUS DAY AT TURKISH PARLIAMENT!

    scandalous dayToday, we witnessed a historical day at Turkish Parliament. Police reports about 4 AKP ministers were sent to the Parliament by the public prosecutor. These reports were related to the latest corruption scandal of AKP government. Since ministers have immunity, public prosecutor cannot order police to arrest them but prepare official reports and send these reports to the Parliament. In the Parliament, ministers discuss the situation of accused ministers by considering police reports. But this process was impeded by AKP senators today by using various ways.

    Today, the President of the Parliamentary session was supposed to be Meral Akşener from opposition party MHP. But Permanent President of the Parliament, Cemil Çiçek from AKP, prepared an official document and appointed Vice-president Sadık Yakut from AKP to lead the session! Mr. Yakut did anything necessary to impede the discussion of the police reports. He said that the police reports had a secret content and it was not possible to discuss them in the parliament! Opposition parties emphasized that the reason of the preparation of these police reports were to make accused ministers accountable to the parliament. But Sadık Yakut didn’t let the content to be revealed. Parliamentary Television (Meclis TV) was broadcasting the session. But they censored some parts of the speeches of opposition senators! At 19:00, they cut broadcasting completely! CHP senator Melda Onur made live broadcast by using her smart phone after that hour! Senators argued for hours. But of course, it was not possible to convince AKP senators and Vice-President of the Parliament. CHP senator Kamer Genç protested this situation by throwing money to the president’s bench! At the end, CHP’s proposal of reading the police reports in the parliament was rejected with the votes of AKP senators!

    via Istanbul Revolution

  • Erdogan Admits Meddling in Turkish Judiciary amid New Leak Recordings

    Erdogan Admits Meddling in Turkish Judiciary amid New Leak Recordings

    Tayyip and the mice, by Necmi OğuzerTurkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has confirmed the authenticity of a tapped phone conversation which allegedly proves his involvement in judiciary affairs.

    Erdogan’s confessions came short before a new “leak” recording with his voice emerged on the Internet on Wednesday night and hinted at other cases where he has abused administrative authority, Turkish newspaper Hurriet Daily News has reported.

    The tapped conversation in which Erdogan has owned up to taking part is with Sadullah Ergin, former Justice Minister, who is asked to “closely monitor” judicial proceedings against a media mogul.

    The Turkish PM, however, denied any wrongdoing and explained he considered it appropriate to tell a former government minister he should keep an eye on a court case.

    The proceedings involve Aydin Dogan, the honorary chairman of Dogan Holding, which is a controversial conglomerate operating in energy, media, industry, trade, insurance and tourism industries.

    Erdogan also justified his actions revealing that he had been informed of Dogan’s role in “parallel structures and dirty relations” and thus had felt it was required of him to tell former minister Ergin to closely follow the case.

    In a statement published in the Hurriet Daily, which is his flagship media outlet, Dogan described the events as “a clear interference in the judicial process”.

    Many recordings, allegedly of Erdogan’s wiretapped conversations, have emerged on YouTube over the last few weeks, but the Prime Minister has called most of them “montage”, accusing his US-based rival, Fethullah Gulen, for conspiring against him and his party.

    A new audio file was meanwhile uploaded Wednesday night on the Internet. According to Turkish newspaper Zaman, this time it features the Prime Minister as discussing with Ergin how to intervene in the presidential elections of the Council of State on behalf of a female candidate. The leak claims she is Erdogan’s apparent choice for the office, and another politician should be pressured to withdraw his bid in her favour.

    Allegations of graft and administrative abuses, as well as corruption investigations into his Party of Justice and Development (AKP), have led to a political crisis which forced Erdogan to declare on Wednesday he would step down if his party did not come as a winner out of the March 30 local elections.

    Turkey’s Prime Minister, however, has also hinted that he could run for Prime Minister for the fourth consecutive time, although that would contradict his own party’s internal regulation and short time ago was deemed unlikely.

    novinite.com, March 6, 2014

  • Erdogan threatens to ban social media sites

    Erdogan threatens to ban social media sites

    The Turkish Prime Minister says he is ready to block sites like You Tube and Facebook as he tries to curb the wave of damaging disclosures fuelling new allegations of corruption
    Erdogan threatens to ban Facebook & Youtube
    Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens to ban social networking sites Photo: AP

    By AFP

    Turkey’s embattled prime minister has warned that his government could ban social media networks YouTube and Facebook after a raft of online leaks added momentum to a spiralling corruption scandal.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already tightened his government’s grip over the Internet, generating criticism at home and abroad about rights in the EU-hopeful country.

    “There are new steps we will take in that sphere after March 30… including a ban (on YouTube, Facebook),” Erdogan told private ATV television in an interview.

    Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has come under mounting pressure since last week, when audio recordings were leaked in which Erdogan and his son allegedly discuss how to hide vast sums of money.

    The Turkish premier dismissed them as a “vile” and “immoral” montage by rivals ahead of key local elections on March 30.

    A series of other online leaks showed Erdogan meddling in trade deals and court cases.

    Erdogan’s government has been shaken by a high-level corruption scandal that erupted in mid-December and ensnared the premier’s key political and business allies.

    Erdogan has accused loyalists of ally-turned-opponent Fethullah Gulen, an influential Muslim cleric based in the United States, of orchestrating the graft probe.

    The Turkish strongman has responded by purging police and passing laws to increase his grip over the Internet and the judiciary.

    telegraph.co.uk, 07 Mar 2014

  • Turkey corruption scandal: Erdogan implicated in second leaked recording

    Turkey corruption scandal: Erdogan implicated in second leaked recording

    A damaging new audio recording claiming to capture the voice of Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was posted to YouTube on Wednesday by an anonymous user who goes by the pseudonym Haramzadeler.

    france24.com, 02/27/2014
    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan caught in corruption scandal