EUROPEAN DEPUTY QUESTIONS TRUST IN TURKISH JUDICIARY

The New Anatolian
March 27 2008
Turkey

Christian Democrat MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten said Thursday there is no
judiciary in Turkey that every one can rely on.

"Turkey needs to work on this matter," Oomen-Ruijten, who is also
Turkey rapporteur of the European Parliament (EP), said during a
meeting at the External Relations Committee of the EP in which MEPs
discussed a draft report on Turkey.

Oomen-Ruijten said Turkish parliament decided to free headscarf in
universities with two-third majority but this decision cannot be
implemented. "I do not know any other country like this. I am for
the independence of the judiciary but there is no judiciary in Turkey
that every one can rely on," she said.

Oomen-Ruijten also said she is totally against the closure of the
Justice and Development (AK) Party and the Democratic Society Party
(DTP).

"This problem can be overcome by making rapid reforms concerning the
judiciary," she stressed.

On the other hand, Joost Lagendijk, the co-chair of Turkey- EU Joint
Parliament Committee, said judiciary considers ‘wrong" the preference
of majority of the nation and this is unacceptable. Lagendijk said
the EU should strongly ask for a judicial reform in Turkey.

The draft report recommends Turkey to provide a large participation
of NGOs in efforts to prepare a new constitution, and asks Turkey to
amend the Article 301 of TCK as soon as possible.

Condemning the acts of the terrorist organization PKK, the draft asks
the PKK to lay down arms without any precondition.

The draft calls on Iraqi government and the regional administration in
Iraq not to "allow PKK to use its territories as a base for terrorist
attacks against Turkey."

On Cyprus problem, the draft report says that a comprehensive solution
should be found under the auspices of the UN.

The report does not touch on Armenian allegations regarding the
incidents of 1915, and calls on the European Commission and Turkey
to launch negotiations on a visa simplification agreement.

The EP is expected to vote the report in a plenary session in May.