Justice minister hits out at EU's Turkey report

By Humeyra Atilgan Buyukovali and Kemal Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag criticized the EU’s annual Progress Report on Turkey on Thursday saying those who prepared the research were "away from being objective".

In a detailed statement, Bozdag said he "regretfully and incredulously" saw that the report refers to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) as "the Gulen movement".

He said such a description of the group would not change the fact it was a terrorist organization.

Turkey’s defeated July 15 coup and subsequent developments dominated the EU report released Wednesday.

"The EU strongly and immediately condemned the attempted coup, which represented a direct attack on democracy in Turkey as such, and reiterated its full support to the democratic institutions of the country," the report read.

However, the Turkish minister criticized the report for not mentioning the deaths of 246 martyrs and over 2,000 wounded, but instead accused it for voicing concerns "over members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization that attempted to destroy democracy, human rights, the state of law, national will and EU values".

Bozdag said the report also failed to examine the struggle of the Turkish nation against the coup bid.

It was written in the report that "the conditions and structural impact of the large-scale dismissals and suspensions that followed the 15 July coup attempt are a source of serious concern".

-Journalists' arrests-

The report also read: "Ongoing and new criminal cases against journalists, writers or social media users, withdrawal of accreditations, high numbers of arrests of journalists as well as closure of numerous media outlets in the aftermath of the July attempted coup are of serious concern."

Bozdag said there was no journalist in prison for practicing their profession, but for having committed various crimes including murder, being a member of a terrorist organization and attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.

About the dismissals of judges and prosecutors in the period following the coup attempt, Bozdag said:

"A judge or a prosecutor will lose their qualification for an objective and independent judiciary if they rule according to the orders of a terrorist organization which they are in contact with, or according to their religion, political and ideological beliefs, instead of ruling in line with the Constitution, laws and personal conviction."

"It is not appropriate for anybody who lost that qualification to stay in their position," Bozdag added.

Over 3,000 judges and prosecutors were dismissed for their links to FETO.

The minister said the terrorist organization had destroyed the Turkish nation's confidence in justice.

He also said there were clear mistakes in the EU document "which shows how subjectively and imprecisely the report was prepared".

Bozdag referred to one section which reads: "The declaration of assets is obligatory for all high court judges, including members of the HSYK [Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors], but not for prosecutors."

He said a declaration of assets is obligatory for all public officials, including prosecutors.

-HDP detentions-

The EU report also mentioned the arrests of lawmakers from Turkey's opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

Recently, prosecutors ordered the arrest of party co-leaders Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas, along with 13 other HDP members of parliament.

The lawmakers face prosecution under anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunity was lifted earlier this year.

"The adoption in May of a law allowing the immunity of a large number of deputies to be lifted and the ensuing detentions and arrests of several HDP Members of Parliament, including the two Co-Chairs, in November is a matter of grave concern," the report read.

Bozdag said there was nothing against the Constitution in their arrests and added the lawmakers were going through the usual legal procedures.

Pointing out that HDP lawmakers failed to answer summons linked to a counter-terrorism investigation, Bozdag said: "No one has the privilege not to answer summons by judicial bodies."

He finalized the statement saying: "It is impossible to accept subjective and biased criticism and proposals that are devoid of any reality".