JUDICIARY SHOULD BRING COUP PLANNERS TO JUSTICE, SAYS BBP LEADER

Today’s Zaman
July 24 2008
Turkey

Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader and Sivas deputy Muhsin Yazıcıoglu
stated yesterday that the judiciary should ensure that coup planners
in the Ergenekon case are brought to justice, treating everyone as
equal before the law.

Attending his party’s provincial board meeting in northwestern
EskiÅ~_ehir province, Yazıcıoglu gave his opinions on the
investigation into the Ergenekon organization — a neo-nationalist
group recently indicted on charges of plotting to overthrow the
government. He noted that the BBP has always been opposed to coups
and coup perpetrators.

"If someone has coup plans, the judiciary should look into
these without violating anyone’s personal rights. Nobody should
be treated as guilty without being proved so. However, nobody
should have the privilege of committing a crime without seeing any
consequences. Everyone should be equal before the law, regardless
of rank or position. We want the judiciary to work without being
politicized, and we side with democracy and the state of law," the
BBP leader said.

Yazıcıoglu also noted that the impositions of a small minority have
never changed in Turkey in spite of the changing governments. "Look,
there are over 400 deputies who are democrats, nationalists or
conservatives in Parliament; however, the Republican People’s Party
[CHP] always gets the last word. Governments have changed, but this
has remained the same. Democracy has always been the loser since a
small minority has managed to somehow govern the country although
different parties took office," he added.

He also mentioned the closure case filed against the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party), saying he is opposed to party closures
unless the party is connected to acts of terrorism or terrorists.

Strongly denying claims that the BBP is somehow connected to the murder
of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, Yazıcıoglu stated that
certain circles have deliberately tried to spread this falsehood,
adding that his party will stand against these efforts.

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