Turkey: Legislating the End of Democracy – 3 Laws for One-Party Rule

[unhappycamper]

http://www.juancole.com/2014/02/turkey-legislating-democracy.html

Turkey: Legislating the End of Democracy – 3 Laws for One-Party Rule
By Juan Cole | Feb. 24, 2014
(By Ola Claësson)

The government’s response to the Gezi protests in June 2013 and its obstruction of a graft probe targeting ministers in December the same year has tarnished the perception of Turkey as an improving democracy. But the foreign media tend to ignore to report the combined seriousness of the developments currently taking place in the country. I will now present 3 laws put forward by the democratically elected AK Party, in order to illustrate how they are stepwise trying to dismantle the Turkish democracy.

Law no. 1 – the end of judicial independence

A law aiming to restructure the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecuters (HSYK) was passed by the parliament on February 15. The HSYK is the legal organ that appoints prosecutors and judges in Turkey and its structure was aligned with EU standard as a part of the accession process to the European Union in 2010.

~snip~

Law no. 2 – the last blow to critical debate

Another law passed by the parliament on February 5 will give the Telecommunications Directorate (TIB), a government controlled agency, the power to close down or block any website without a court order. On top of that the law will also enable the agency to store personal data for up to two years, thus raising fears that critical voices on the Internet will be silenced.

~snip~

Law no. 3

Last but not least, just to illustrate the ruthless pragmatism practiced by the AK Party in order to stay in power and avoid any criticism, a law making it illegal to give emergency care to an injured person without approval from the health ministry has already been enacted.