News Scan

News Scan, 25th Jan:Turkish Deputy PM says fluctuations in markets temporary

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Fluctuations in markets temporary: Turkish Deputy PM

The developments in global markets are the real reason behind the Turkish Lira’s decline, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan says, adding that the affect of the fluctuations will be temporary.

“Those who put trust in Turkey’s long term accomplishments and stability will not regret it,” Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said in a televised interview in Davos, Switzerland. Babacan’s remarks came on a day the Turkish Lira dropped to new lows against the U.S. dollar and euro. The lira was 2.3270 against the dollar and 3.18 against the euro in the late afternoon trade. Borsa Istanbul also had losses as its main index dropped almost 2 percent to 64.137. The currency has plunged about 10 percent since mid-December – hitting new lows almost daily this year – battered by the political turmoil and concerns about its gaping currency account deficit.

Babacan downplayed the role of the political crisis, fueled by a corruption probe launched on Dec. 17 that targeted some ministers and the government’s move to increase its control over the judiciary, in market fluctuations, arguing the recent changes in exchange rates were caused by developments in global markets. “We expected changes in liquidity policies of the developed countries when we were preparing our 2014 program, we stated these changes could have repercussions in the economies of the developing countries,” he said.

Babacan said it was natural for economies like Turkey’s to be affected in such circumstances.

HURRIYETDAILY NEWS

Turkish President calls for toning down of ‘language’ used at judiciary reform talks

Over the draft bill to restructure Turkey’s top judicial body, Thursday’s talks at Turkish parliament were held in tense atmosphere

Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Friday harshly criticized the “language” the Turkish lawmakers used while addressing each other during the debates at the Turkish parliament. The debate was over a bill amending the law regulating the HSYK – the country’s top body that governs judicial affairs of the country.

Harsh remarks between the lawmakers of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) resulted with fist-fights at Thursday’s talks at the general assembly. Gul prompted by the tense atmosphere said that “We have to first reform the language we use. I hope it (the fight of words and fists) will be the last, and such incidents will not happen again.”

The Turkish president said that “words have power” and warned that all have to deliver their language more constructively “if we want to see less of such tensions.”

The proposed bill to restructure the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) was approved by a parliamentary commission on January 16. If passed by the parliament the bill will transfer some of the powers of the HSYK to its chair – Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag. Then it will be submitted to President Gul for ratification.

AK Party had earlier sought a partnership with the opposition parties for a constitutional amendment to change the HSYK. The plan fell by the wayside after the two largest opposition parties – CHP and MHP – rejected AK Party’s offer.

AA

Erdoğan using hate speech against Gülen movement, says MEP

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s accusations against a faith-based movement led by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen amidst a corruption scandal are both uncalled for and amount to “a kind of hate speech” that has the risk of sparking violence against the group, a senior member of the European Parliament has said.

Erdoğan accused the Hizmet movement of being a part of an international conspiracy against his government when a corruption probe that shook his government got under way with a wave of detentions on Dec. 17. Those detained included sons of three ministers who were later removed from the Cabinet as part of a broader government reshuffle. Erdoğan insisted that the corruption probe was a plot against his government masterminded by what he called a “parallel state,” apparently referring to members of the police and judiciary said to be close to the movement. He also blamed the probe on “traitors” or “Hashasins” — a medieval group that carried out political assassinations — all in thinly veiled references to the Hizmet movement.

TODAYS ZAMAN

EU Commissioner Füle’s two letters key in suspension of judicial bill

Two letters from EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle ahead of Prime Minister Erdoğan’s talks with top EU officials have played an instrumental role in suspending part of a contentious judicial bill, Radikal revealed on Jan 25.
Brussels has played a key role in freezing parts of a controversial bill reshaping a key judicial body bill, as EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle sent a letter to Ankara on Jan. 24 requesting more time and dialogue before the enactment of the draft bill, daily Radikal revealed.

Füle sent a first letter on Jan. 14 to EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who last month replaced Egemen Bağış after the latter was implicated in the damaging graft probe. In the missive, Füle said the reform would have a negative impact on “the independence and neutrality of the judiciary and the separation of powers.”

In a second letter dated Jan. 20, the same day Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan traveled to Brussels to meet with top EU officials, Füle listed 12 points of criticisms and concerns regarding the bill reshaping the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), according to the report.

He particularly indicated that the increase of powers in the hands of the justice minister would undermine EU legislation. “I am still of the opinion that [the bill] allows the justice minister to almost control the HSYK. Therefore, this causes serious concerns regarding the independence and neutrality of the judiciary and the separation of powers in Turkey,” Füle said.

HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

Turkey under pressure over jihadists on border (by Semih IDIZ)

It’s unclear how enthusiastic the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is over the Geneva II talks on Syria, given that these talks effectively legitimize the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Ankara continues to insist that this regime has lost all legitimacy. Both Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu are saying that they support these talks, of course, and expressing hope that it bears results.

The recent terrorist bombing at the border and the acrimonious exchange between the Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers at Geneva II hints at the extent to which Turkey has become embroiled in the Syria conflict. It was nevertheless telling to see Erdogan immediately latch onto the dreadful photographs, which were revealed just before Geneva II kicked off, and which reportedly show the scale of the atrocities committed by the Assad regime. Erdogan insists that these images should be enough to spur the international community to action.

By that, he means action designed to bring down Assad and his regime, a topic that has been his hobbyhorse from the start of the Syrian crisis. That, however, is clearly not in the cards as the international focus turns to a political settlement for Syria based on negotiations between the regime and the opposition.

The basic truth for Erdogan today is that circumstance has left Turkey sitting at the same table with a regime it despises and wants toppled. The animosity between the sides was also reflected in the speeches of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem and Davutoglu during the opening session of Geneva II in Montreux on Jan 22. A development of much more significance for the wary Turkish public, however, is that Turkey continues to face a growing security threat from al-Qaeda-related groups that have taken control of large swathes of land in northern Syria along the Turkish border.

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/01/turkey-jihadist-terror-syria-civil-war.html

Intellectuals call on gov’t not to ‘acquit’ corruption, coup plotters

A group of intellectuals including writers, journalists, academics and activists issued a statement titled “Enough is enough! Don’t acquit corruption or Ergenekon coup plotters” on Thursday.

A group of 100 intellectuals, including writers, journalists, academics and activists, have issued a statement in which they harshly reacted to a number of anti-democratic practices of the government that came following a major graft probe that recently became public.

The statement, which carries the headline “Enough is enough! Don’t acquit corruption or Ergenekon coup plotters,” was issued on Thursday. The intellectuals made a call on the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its government to end its attempts to interfere in the area of judicial authority.

“A deep corruption investigation was linked, at incredible speed, to a debate over the retrial of coup plotters who were given sentences in the Balyoz [Sledgehammer] and Ergenekon coup plots. This tendency seeks to acquit both people involved in corruption and Balyoz and Ergenekon coup plotters. In addition, a number of unlawful activities, including plans to subordinate the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors [HSYK] to the government and reassignments of members of the judiciary and the police force who contributed to the corruption investigation, top the national agenda,” read the statement.

TODAYS ZAMAN

 25.01.2014

This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.

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