Posted on 01/11/2014 8:09:57 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Turkish politicians threw punches and water bottles during a debate on Saturday about government control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors, as a feud over the ruling party's handling of a corruption scandal intensified...
Parliament's justice commission was gathering to discuss a draft bill from Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party to give it more say over the judiciary when the scuffles broke out.
The fight erupted when a representative of a judicial association arrived with a petition arguing the bill was anti-constitutional but he was not allowed to speak, witnesses said.
"If I am being kicked at here as a representative of the judiciary, all prosecutors and judges will be trampled on when this law passes," a ruffled Omer Faruk Eminagaoglu, head of the YARSAV professional association, said after the ruckus.
Erdogan has cast the wide-ranging corruption investigation, which poses one of the biggest challenges of his 11-year rule, as an attempted "judicial coup" meant to undermine him in the run-up to local and presidential elections this year.
He has responded by purging the police force of hundreds of officers and seeking tighter control over the judiciary.
JUDICIAL WARNING
One of Turkey's most senior legal figures joined the opposition on Friday in warning the AK Party its proposed reforms to the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) would breach the constitution.
Ahmet Hamsici, deputy chairman of the HSYK, said greater government control over the body responsible for naming judges and prosecutors would contravene the basic principle of the separation of powers.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, who was in the room when the punches were thrown, hinted that the AK Party might back down if the opposition agreed instead to changes in parts of the constitution governing the judiciary.
(Excerpt) Read more at globalpost.com ...
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
Two possibilities remain — military coup, and martial law.
The period was the decade of the 1850's. You remember what came next.
Famed pianist Fazil Say sentenced for blasphemy
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pianist-fazil-say-gets-10-month-suspended-jail-term-for-blasphemy.aspx?pageID=238&nID=44926&NewsCatID=341
...Say had been the focus of a legal battle since he retweeted several lines, which are attributed to poet Omar Khayyam in April 2012, saying: “You say its rivers will flow in wine. Is the Garden of Eden a drinking house? You say you will give two houris to each Muslim. Is the Garden of Eden a whorehouse?”
He had also tweeted, “I don’t know whether you have noticed or not but wherever there is a stupid person or a thief, they are believers in God. Is this a paradox?”
The only trend I see with Turkey is that it is descending back into traditional Islam like so many other Muslim countries.
How Turkey’s conservatives failed
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/al-qaeda-legitimizes-al-assad-fm-davutoglu.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60884&NewsCatID=338
Erdogan’s system signals implosion
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogans-system-signals-implosion.aspx?PageID=238&NID=60885&NewsCatID=409
Erdogan’s party implemented some mild (by Islamofascist standards) koranic crap, while amending the Turkish constitution to remove their peculiar checks and balances and to concentrate more power in his own hands.
During his time in office, he’s managed to diplomatically isolate Turkey, while alienating its only indispensible ally (the US), and surrounding his country with hostile neighbors. Despite his disastrous missteps, Turkey remains the cork in the bottle, and neither the US nor the EU (or really, the Russians) can do without that. Best guess for the best outcome will be, he’ll be removed in the upcoming election, replaced by Gul.
Turkey’s headed for perhaps years of turmoil, but probably not civil war a la Syria and Lebanon.
Depends on how well he consents to the AQs and the Muzzie Bros. having a hand in Turkey’s politics.
As far as I am concerned Ataturkism is over.
Turkish Lira to stabilize soon, says survey
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-lira-to-stabilize-soon-says-survey.aspx?PageID=238&NID=60851&NewsCatID=344
...Local government elections are due in March and presidential polls in August. Because of a weak and divided opposition, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party is expected to stay in power, but it may lose support and its economic policy-making could become less predictable.
And I expect France and Italy to see their economies recover and do well in 2014! LOL!
It would have been much more interesting if it was a “Turkey Shoot”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.