The tension between the government and the Turkish judiciary is increasing as the Minister of Justice, Sadullah Ergin, criticized the latest decision of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors, HSYK. The events started as a Chief Public Prosecutor, Ilhan Cihaner, was arrested for the first time in the history of the Republic and a search was conducted in his office and in his house on the grounds that he was a member of the Ergenekon secret organization who planned to topple the government. The HSYK reacted to this event by abolishing the authority of the lawyer who started the investigation against Ilhan Cihaner. The supreme court of Appeals and the highest administrative court in Turkey, Council of State, stated that they supported the decision of HSYK.
The Minister of Justice said in his latest statement that HSYK was an administrative body and did not have any judicial duties. He stated that its action was against the Constitution and the laws. He emphasized that the HSYK has intervened in an ongoing investigation and prevented the execution of an independent judicial process and created a risk for the execution of the investigation in a healthy way.
Ergin said that this was a coup against an independent judiciary and emphasized the need for a reform in the judicial system.
Source: ntvmsnbc, hurriyet (Turkey), February 17, 2010
