MINISTER SAHIN SAYS INDEPENDENT COURT WILL DECIDE FAITH OF GERMAN TEENAGER

The New Anatolian, Turkey
June 29 2007

Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin commenting
on the case of a German teenager kept in custody for underage sex with
a British girl said "independent judicial authorities will eventually
render their verdict on the case. I think exaggeration is a little
bit political."

Sahin told reporters that criticism against Turkey is unfair. He said,
"every country has its own laws and independent judicial bodies
that carry out these laws. Political authority can not give order
to judicial bodies or intervene in cases. Jurisdiction process goes
on here like that in Germany, the Netherlands or any other European
countries. Turkey is a country that fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria."

Reminding that Turkey requested the extradition of several criminals
from European countries in the past, Sahin said, "they were saying
that ‘judiciary is independent here. We can not intervene in it’
regarding for instance the case of Fehriye Erdal, an accomplice in
the murder of Ozdemir Sabanci. They should take into account the same
thing for us too. Otherwise, all comments would be political."

When asked about German media broadcasting in front of Antalya prison,
Sahin said, "the Europeans who criminalize the denial of the so-called
Armenian genocide claims should now look at the mirror."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress