President Abdullah Gül has stated Turkey’s courtrooms will arrive at the decision on whether to release from prison deputies presently under arrest in light of the information they have and under laws presently in effect.
“Now courts will construe the newly adopted laws. They’ll arrive at their decisions whether to bring the jailed deputies out in the light of the information and laws they hold in their hands,” the president told on Monday at a press conference he addressed. The president’s remarks came in answer to a reporter’s question concerning what he thinks of requests which are coming from jailed deputies for their release.
Turkey has 9 deputies in jail — 2 from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and one from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) who face coup accusations and 6 from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) who face accusations of membership in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the urban branch of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). All 9 deputies were elected to Parliament on last year’s general elections, and their nominations to run for Parliament resulted in a widespread controversy as they were already in jail.
The deputies which were appealed to relevant courts last week to benefit from a new law inserted in the 3rd judicial reform package, calling for their release from prison. They claim that the newly approved reform package lets them be brought out from jail pending trial.
The president refused to supply further comments about the jailed deputies.
The 3rd judicial reform package, which was passed by Parliament last week, clipped the powers of specially authorized courts.
Especially authorized courtrooms dealing with coup and terror cases were abolished and substituted with regional terrorism courts. The package told special courts will keep going to oversee existing coup and terror cases till a final verdict is accomplished. Some of the cases presently which are being heard by special courts include Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged of plotting to overthrow the government, Balyoz (Sledgehammer), a suspected coup plot considered to have been contrived in 2003 with the aim of unseating the government through violent acts, and the KCK.
Additionally, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ talked reporters on Sunday about the jailed deputies and stated deciding on apprehending or discharging suspects from prison pending trial belongs exclusively to judges. “The recently adopted laws are adjective amendments,” he stated and added that the laws shouldn’t be believed “orders” to courts to release the deputies or other suspects from prison.
