The Turkish parliament will assemble in an extraordinary session tomorrow, March 19, to discuss the fate of the indictments targeting four former cabinet ministers of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for the session after receiving support from the other two opposition parties in parliament — the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).
“We asked the parliament to assemble on March 18 [to discuss these indictments],” CHP parliamentary group chairman Akif Hamzacebi said on March 12. “The speaker of parliament can set a different date but he first has to call parliament to this extraordinary session within seven days. We also asked for a separate session to discuss the reasons behind the Ministry of Justice's long delay in passing along the indictments to parliament. The parliament's internal regulations could allow the speaker of parliament to try to prevent the reading of the full indictment in this session. But the way we put our proposal forward takes away that possibility if he abides by the book. We want the people to be informed of the content of these indictments.”
The opposition had complained that the indictments targeting four former cabinet ministers — Zafer Caglayan, Muammer Guler, Erdogan Bayraktar and Egemen Bagis, who came under the spotlight last Dec. 17, for allegedly being directly involved in corruption and bribery — were unnecessarily delayed at the Ministry of Justice.
While saying that the indictments arrived at parliament on Feb. 28 — the day the legislative body recessed for local elections — speaker Cemil Cicek said on March 14 that the extraordinary session to discuss the indictments would be held on March 19. “We have to evaluate all these requests within the framework of Turkey’s criminal law. I will have to abide by what the law says. There is no need for us to pass laws if we are not going to follow its course. This is a judicial matter, and the criminal code needs to be applied.”
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