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  • ANKARA: Controversial rulings, coup plans top Turkey's 2008 agenda

    www.worldbulletin.net, Turkey
    Jan 1 2008


    Controversial rulings, coup plans top Turkey's 2008 agenda

    Turkey witnessed top court's controversial rulings that disappointed
    everyone believing in "rule of law", including ban on headscarf and
    AKP closure case during 2008.

    Thursday, 01 January 2009 15:41
    World Bulletin / News Desk

    Turkey witnessed top court's controversial rulings that disappointed
    everyone believing in "rule of law", including ban on headscarf and
    AKP closure case during 2008.

    The investigation "Ergenekon", the constitutional amendment freeing
    headscarf in universities, the closure case against the ruling Justice
    & Development (AK) Party, the ground operation of Turkish Armed Forces
    into north of Iraq, and President Abdullah Gul's visit to Armenia were
    the highlights of the year 2008 in Turkey.

    The investigation, launched by the explosives seized in an operation
    in Umraniye neighborhood of Istanbul, was named "Ergenekon" in 2008
    and a lawsuit was filed regarding the case.

    A criminal court in Istanbul began trying 86 suspects, 46 of whom were
    in prison, in the "Ergenekon terrorist organization" case on October
    20. Among the suspects were retired general Veli Kucuk, Labor Party
    chairman Dogu Perincek, Cumhuriyet daily's editor-in-chief Ilhan
    Selcuk, and Professor Kemal Alemdaroglu, the former president of
    Istanbul University.

    Retired general Sener Eruygur, the chairman of the Kemalist Thought
    Association; retired general Hursit Tolon; journalist Tuncay Ozkan;
    and Sinan Aygun, the chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce; were
    detained within the scope of the investigation, but were later
    released.

    The prosecutor has not prepared an indictment regarding Eruygur,
    Tolon, Aygun and Ozkan yet. Retired general Eruygur was released from
    prison due to his health problems.

    Controversial verdict on headscarf

    Turkish Constitutional Court failed to free headscarf at universities
    by the ruling that disappointed everyone, who want Turkey to make some
    progress in religious freedom.

    Top court annulled the amendment that would had brought "limited
    freedom" to women wearing headscarf.

    In the Spanish capital of Madrid in January 2008, Erdogan said that
    headscarf was not a political symbol and that all political parties in
    Turkey had women members wearing headscarves.

    "Even if it is a political symbol, can you ban political symbols or
    can you say that wearing a symbol is a crime?" Erdogan asked.

    "Girls in the United States or Europe can go to universities wearing
    headscarves, but we have such a problem in country where 99 percent of
    the population is Muslim. I believe that we will overcome this
    problem," he also said.

    Then, Devlet Bahceli, the chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party
    (MHP), announced that his party would help solve the issue on legal
    basis and without causing political and social tension.

    The parliament passed the amendment bill on February 9, and changed
    article 10 (equality before law) and 42 (right and duty of training
    and education) of the Constitution, and President Abdullah Gul
    ratified it.

    Turkey's two secularist opposition parties --Republican People's Party
    (CHP) and Democratic Left Party (DSP)-- appealed the constitutional
    amendment on February 27, asking the judges to either cancel the
    amendments or declare them null and void, and halt their execution
    until the case was concluded.

    The high court annulled the amendment on May 5.

    Another controversial case in Turkey in 2008, EU condemned, was the
    lawsuit Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor filed to close the
    ruling AK Party. Chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya filed a
    lawsuit on March 14, demanding that the Constitutional Court should
    shut down the AK Party on charges that "the party had become a focal
    point of anti-secular acts."

    In his indictment, Yalcinkaya demanded that 71 people, including
    President Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, should be
    banned from politics for five years.

    The top court could not reach the qualified majority sought in closure
    cases, which was votes in favor of seven members. Six members voted
    for closure of the party, and five others voted against it.

    On July 30, the Constitutional Court only decided to deprive the party
    of half of the state (monetary) assistance it received in 2008.

    PKK operations

    Also in 2008, the Turkish Armed Forces continued its fight against PKK
    without interruption and staged a ground operation, backed by air
    forces, in the north of Iraq under severe winter conditions.

    The Turkish troops killed at least 240 PKK miltants, and destroyed PKK
    shelters in the operation launched on February 21 and concluded on
    February 29. 27 Turkish soldiers died in the operation staged against
    PKK in Zap-Sivi, Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk regions in the north of
    Iraq.

    PKK staged an attack on a gendarmery outpost in Aktutun hamlet of
    Semdinli town in the southeastern province of Hakkari on October 3. 17
    Turkish soldiers died in the attack, whereas Turkish troops killed 23
    militants in the clash.

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan heard about the clash when he was
    visiting Turkmenistan, cancelled the rest of his trip, and returned to
    Turkey. Turkey took a number of measures after the extraordinary
    meeting of the Higher Board of Counter-Terrorism. Turkey is still
    discussing a new structure expected to be set up under the auspices of
    the Interior Ministry to combat PKK violence.

    17 people and an unborn baby died in two blasts that occurred one
    after the other in Gungoren neighborhood of Istanbul in July. Another
    bomb attack took place in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, and
    targeted a military vehicle on January 3. It killed seven people,
    including six students and wounded 68 others.

    An armed attack was staged outside the U.S. Consulate General in
    Istanbul on July 9, killing three police officers. Three suspects were
    also killed in the attack.

    Another highlight of 2008 was the visit of President Abdullah Gul to
    Armenia. Gul accepted Armenian President Serzh Sargsian's invitation
    to watch a World Cup qualifier between Turkey and Armenia in Yerevan,
    and visited that country.

    Political developments

    Abdullatif Sener, a member of the Central Decision & Executive Board
    of the AK Party, resigned from his post and the party. Also, AK Party
    deputy chairmen Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat and Saban Disli resigned from
    their posts in the AK Party. Abdulkadir Aksu, an AK Party MP from
    Istanbul, replaced Firat.

    Deniz Baykal was re-elected the chairman of the main opposition
    Republican People's Party (CHP) in the regular convention of the
    party.

    Numan Kurtulmus became the chairman of the Felicity Party (SP), Salih
    Uzun was elected the chairman of the Motherland Party and Suleyman
    Soylu became the chairman of the Democrat Party (DP).

    Nurettin Demirtas, the chairman of pro-Kurdish Democratic Society
    Party (DTP) who was arrested on charges that he got a false report to
    pave his way from compulsory military service, was tried and joined
    the army. Demirtas resigned from his post in the party, and Ahmet Turk
    became the new chairman of the party.

    The Supreme Court of Appeals Criminal Department upheld the verdict of
    a criminal court in Ankara to send former prime minister Necmettin
    Erbakan, who was also the last chairman of the banned Welfare Party
    (RP), to two years and four months in prison in the "lost trillion"
    case on charges of "forgery in special documents." The Ankara court
    also ruled that Erbakan should serve the imprisonment at
    home. President Abdullah Gul later annulled the imprisonment verdict
    due to Erbakan's health problems.

    Gen. Yasar Buyukanit resigned as the chief of General Staff as of
    August 30, 2008 and was replaced by Gen. Ilker Basbug, who was the
    Land Forces Commander. Gen. Isik Kosaner became the new Land Forces
    Commander, and Gen. Avni Atila Isik became the Gendarmery General
    Commander.

    Hasan Gerceker was elected the new chief judge of the Supreme Court of
    Appeals, and Mustafa Birden became the new chairman of the Council of
    State.


    Some arrangements that were put into practice this year had a direct
    impact on daily life.

    -Turkish Parliament adopted a bill enlarging scope of smoking
    ban. Under the law enacted on May 19, 2008 people are forbidden to
    smoke even in open areas in schools and courses.

    People are also forbidden to smoke in restaurants, cafes, and beer
    houses. Enterprises who fail to abide by their obligations will be
    fined to pay 500 YTL and 5,000 YTL.

    Commenting on smoking ban, Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan
    said, "whoever smokes in the parliament, I will personally fine him."

    Starting as of April 1, 2008 drivers have been preparing fact-finding
    reports and photographing vehicles who got involved in accidents.

    Allegations as regards to the case "Deniz Feneri e.V", heard in
    Germany were high on the agenda for a long time. Ankara Public
    Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the case after a
    criminal complaint was made. Prosecutor's Office wanted Germany to
    send decision, information and documents about the case to Turkey.

    Some NGOs decided to celebrate Labor Day at Taksim Square this
    year. However, Istanbul Governor's Office did not permit the
    celebrations. Council of Ministers decided to celebrate Labor Day as
    "Labor and Solidarity Day".
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