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  • ANKARA: European Deputy Questions Trust In Turkish Judiciary

    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.
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