TURKISH PREMIER PROMISES TO ENFORCE RULE OF LAW AGAINST "DEEP STATE"

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Feb 6 2007

Ankara, 6 February: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
reaffirmed his government’s commitment to protect the rule of law
and pledged continued fight against "elements which try to create
dark holes and privileged spaces within the legal system".

Prime minister’s remarks came just days after his recent comments on a
renewed discussion about what Turks call "deep state" – a supposedly
shadowy network within the security and intelligence services, as
well as the state bureaucracy.

"The ‘deep state’ has become a tradition. It is a term that has been
used since the Ottoman period", Erdogan told reporters last Sunday
[4 February], aboard a flight bound for an African Union summit
in Ethiopia.

"We can describe it as gangs inside a state organization and this
kind of structure does exist", confirmed Erdogan.

Yet Erdogan sounded resolute on overcoming the issue in Tuesday’s
address to the lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP), "No-one can breach the law even in the name of saving the
country or the homeland. No reason can justify stepping over the law."

The debate on the "deep state" was revisited by Turkish media, as
well as political leaders, particularly after the killing of Turkish
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

Allegations were voiced that the plot against the journalist might be
the work of a wider organization which has access to rich resources
and enjoy from protection.

"What they call the ‘deep state’ is not an institution of our state,"
Erdogan rebuked. "Those who deem themselves as unbounded by laws and
expect protection are gravely mistaken."