High Council of Judges and Prosecutors

Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Meeting, November 30, 2021. Photo: Council of Europe

"GRECO concluded that the very low level of compliance with the recommendations was 'globally unsatisfactory'," the report said.

The International Association of Judges (IAJ) has published an appeal regarding the situation of the judiciary in Turkey, citing a recent report by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission that noted Turkey's proposed constitutional changes were a big setback for democracy.

Turkish lawmakers adopted on Jan. 15 new articles in a contentious constitutional reform package that will pave the way for structural reforms in the nation's highest judicial body, regulate the annual budget and usher in a new government system.        

The High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has concluded that the six judges and two prosecutors who worked on the Ergenekon case, prosecuting 274 suspects on charges of attempting to overthrow the government of the time, were serving the movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. 

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said he could separately meet with the leaders of two opposition parties next week to finalize weeks-long work on a small-scale constitutional amendment package. 

The Council of Europe has called on Turkey to pursue reforms to prevent and curb corruption. In a report published on March 17 by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), a body of the Council of Europe focused on fighting corruption, the need to provide more openness in the parliamentary process was highlighted as a major concern.

Reporter Canan Co?kun faces 23 years in prison for coverage of a story about top judicial officials allegedly buying discounted residences from a public real estate company.

Co?kun, who works for daily Cumhuriyet, will appear in court on Nov. 12 facing 23 years and four months in prison on charges of "insulting public officials over their duties."

Because various laws that are interfering with justice have come one after the other in a nonstop fashion, I call them jigsaw puzzles.

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has denied claims that a secretariat will be established in İmralı Island prison for the ongoing negotiations with Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), speaking late on Nov. 25.

Romania can and must become a provider of expertise on justice matters in the region, since it has proved it is capable of building extremely efficient institutions and implementing an entirely new legislative system, Justice Minister Robert Cazanciuc said during a visit paid to Turkey on Thursday and Friday.