Due to forming part of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee within the European Parliament it has been my task over the years to monitor developments occurring in Turkey, especially in view of on-going negotiations in for EU accession. While this country has come a long way in the years during which such negotiations have taken place, we continue to hear of events in the country that are cause for great concern. Most recent of which, are the raids that took place over the Christmas period where a number of individuals were detained over corruption allegations.
Earlier this year we witnessed unrest in Turkey following a sit-in protest over plans to develop Gezi Park situated in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. Protesters were peaceful yet police used tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd. The situation deteriorated rapidly as a result of the excessive use of force by the police. Many were injured in the clashes that ensued between police and protesters triggering international calls for the situation to be brought under control. Experts claimed the unrest was exacerbated by growing unhappiness in the country over what citizens claim is increasing ‘Islamisation’. During related protests in Ankara for instance protesters drank alcohol as a symbol of opposition to recently implementedrestrictions concerning its consumption.
Indeed the basis of the Prime Minister’s ruling AK Party is political Islam, yet Prime Minister RecepTayyipErdogan has been committed to ensure Turkey remains a secular state.Nevertheless this is his third term in office, and commentators argue that his style of governance has become increasingly authoritarian. Statistically for instance it is worrying that despite Turkey’s claims to being progressive and upholding the rule of law it continues to hold the world record for imprisoned journalists, surpassing even China.
During the events that took place in recent weeks a corruption probe led to the arrest of a number of high profile individuals and the confiscation of millions that the police claimed were linked to bribes and corruption. The issue here is that the targets of these investigations are individuals closely associated to the Prime Minister and his ruling AK Party including the sons of one of his ministers. It was claimed that the investigations were fabricated and constituted an attack on Erdogan’s authority, some even labeling the raids as a ‘mini-coup’ attempt.
Whether the investigations were politically motivated and the targets culpable remains unclear but the way in which the Government dealt with the situation was far from adequate. Following the raids a number of police chiefs were sacked and the Ministry of the Interior as well as the Justice Ministry changed their regulations, forcing investigators to inform their superiors of any planned action.
It is not difficult to understand why these measures have fueled speculation of a corruption cover-up and created doubts over the state of the rule of law in the country. If those accused of corruption by the police were innocent and if the police force conspired maliciously against the Erdogan administration, there should be structures in place to address these allegations and find the truth. Butthe actions undertaken do not aspire much confidence.
One cannot speak about Turkey in the context of its political situation and its bid for EU accession without also making reference to its continued occupation of Cyprus – an EU member state. This continued state of affairs is unacceptable and needs to be resolved.
Turkey is bursting with potential. It is an example of a dynamic, thriving economy with a young workforce that continues to register strong growth. But when it comes to human rights, democratic values and rule of law, Turkey still has a long way to go.