Erdogan suffers blow in court decision on judiciary

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Yahoo News / Reuters

NKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's Constitutional Court annulled parts of a law tightening government control of the judiciary on Friday, dealing a blow to a reform critics saw as part of a bid by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to suppress a corruption scandal.

The court said in a statement it had canceled articles granting the justice minister powers over the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors, which makes judicial appointments.

Erdogan has been battling a graft scandal since police raids in December targeted businessmen close to him and the sons of ministers. He has removed thousands of police and judiciary officials from their positions in what he characterizes as a campaign to root out a subversive 'parallel state'.

The Prime Minister accuses U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally whose network of followers wields influence in judiciary and police, of orchestrating a plot to unseat him.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/top-turkish-court-annuls-part-law-tightening-judicial-082306472--sector.html

[mainer]

1. How long before Erdogan starts sending judges to prison?

A good thing Turkey has an independent judiciary. I hope it can stay that way. It's so sad to see a vibrant and relatively open country like Turkey slide under a despot's rule.

[rafeh1]

2. erdogans main crime

is his paying off the IMF debts down to 0. All his problems started after that singular event.