Turkish commission votes to not send ex-ministers to trial
[JURIST] A Turkish parliamentary commission on Monday voted not to send four ex-ministers to trial on charges of corruption. The charges relate to a massive corruption and graft scandal which began in December 2013, accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [BBC profile] and three other ministers. The commission, consisting of 14 members, nine of whom belong to Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) [party website], was formed in May and has been investigating prosecution files since. The scandal led to resignations by the ministers of the economy [official website], the interior [official website] and urbanization [official website]. European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis [official website] also lost his position due to the affair. Erdogan claims that the entire situation was part of a plot to by his political enemies to undermine him and attempt a takeover. One member of the commission voiced his opinion that Monday's decision was a cover-up, stating [Reuters report], "We've witnessed today in parliament how the biggest corruption scandal in Turkey's history has been covered up on the orders of the AK Party and the president. The outcome is saddening."
Turkey has been involved in many controversial political situations recently. In September Human Rights Watch reported [JURIST report] that Turkey's ruling AKP party is taking steps to weaken the rule of law, control Internet and media and suppress critics and protesters. In April the Turkish government lifted a ban [JURIST report] on Twitter following a Constitutional Court ruling, which stated that the ban violated both individual rights as well as the freedom of expression. In February Turkey's parliament passed a law [JURIST report] granting itself greater control with respect to the judicial appointment process. Also in February Turkey's Parliament approved legislation [JURIST report] to heighten Internet restrictions, granting the country's telecommunications authority the ability to block websites or remove content without the court's approval.
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