Three Turkish legislators, including a former minister, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have resigned and accused the Turkish government of putting pressure on the country's judiciary, as a widening corruption scandal continues to grip the country. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party is being directed by "arrogance," former Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said in a news conference on Friday announcing his resignation, adding that he was parting ways with the AKP. The resignations came after the Council of State, an Ankara court that rules on administrative issues, rejected an attempt by the government to force police officers to disclose the results of investigations to their superiors. The government's efforts to control police investigations amounted to "a clear breach of the principle of the separation of powers, and of the constitution," said the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors on Thursday, a day before the ruling. Twenty-four people, including the sons of two ministers and a state-owned bank's chief were arrested last week as part of an investigation into corruption in Turkey. The months-long probe was kept secret from top commanders, who might have informed the government.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/12/lawmakers-resign-amid-turkey-fraud-scandal-201312271460679884.html
No comments:
Post a Comment