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Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected a call by the second largest opposition party, the HDP, to postpone a decision to shut down the party until after the Turkish general elections, now set for May. Critics say the decision adds to concerns that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the judiciary to undermine the opposition ahead of the poll.
For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptTURKEY POLITICS OPPOSITION
HEADLINE: Turkey’s Judiciary Faces Clampdown as Erdogan Heads into Reelection Battle
TEASER: Rights groups warn Turkey’s legal system is being politicized
PUBLISHED AT: 01/26/2023 01:35 pm
BYLINE: Dorian Jones
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Istanbul
VIDEOGRAPHER: Berke Bas DO NOT USE NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS, Agencies, Courtesy
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR,
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, AFP, Reuters, CHP, HDP
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:22
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITORS NOTE: DO NOT USE BERKE BAS NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS.))
((INTRO)) [[Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected a call by the second largest opposition party, the HDP, to postpone a decision to shut down the party until after the Turkish general elections, now set for May. Critics say the decision adds to concerns that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the judiciary to undermine the opposition ahead of the poll. For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul,]]
((COURTESY: HDP))
((NARRATOR))
In a blaze of color and music, the pro-Kurdish HDP launched its campaign with a coalition of left parties.
((COURTESY: HDP))
((NARRATOR))
But these are not easy times for Turkey's second-largest opposition party. The Constitutional Court has frozen its state funding as the court considers a case to close down the HDP for alleged links to Kurdish rebels fighting the Turkish state. HDP denies the claims.
The court Thursday rejected a call to delay the case until after parliamentary and presidential elections, now scheduled for May 14.
[[RADIO VERSION: Ertugrul Kurkcu, honorary President of the HDP.]]
((Ertugrul Kurkcu, Honorary President of the HDP ((male in English))
((Mandatory cg: Skype))
“The biggest legal problem is the cloud of suspicion hanging over the party's legal existence, will it be able to enter the elections or not? This creates a lot of problems. Because the present leadership of the party as a whole and the former members of the former leadership all are now under threat of being banned from politics.”
((NARRATOR))
The former HDP leader, Selahattin Demirtas, is already in jail in a case condemned by the European Court of Human Rights as politically motivated. The government rejects such charges, saying its courts are independent.
((COURTESY: HDP))
The HDP is the main rival to Erdogan’s AKP party
((end courtesy))
...in vying for the country's large Kurdish vote in what is expected to be a closely fought campaign,
[[RADIO VERSION: Mesut Yegen of the Reform Institute, an Istanbul think tank.]]
((Mesut Yegen, Reform Institute - Male in English-VOA ORIGINAL-on camera))
“Ideally Erdogan of course would wish to close down HDP, because this would be good for him in, as I said, in parliamentary elections, because if this happens, then it's likely that AK party could get more seats.”
((COURTESY: CHP))
((NARRATOR))
The main opposition CHP party is also facing legal woes. Its charismatic mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, widely tipped as a presidential challenger,
last month was convicted of insulting an official and now faces a political ban.
Rights groups warn the judiciary is increasingly becoming a political tool.
[[RADIO VERSION: Emma Sinclair-Webb is the senior Turkey researcher for Human Rights Watch.]]
((Emma Sinclair-Webb, Human Rights Watch – FEMALE IN ENGLISH – VOA ORIGINAL-on camera))
“The two areas where the government maintains control and gives itself a huge advantage are control of the judiciary and judicial decisions, which are then used against the opposition in a very arbitrary and restrictive way to sideline the opposition and also control of the media.”
((NARRATOR))
With Turkey grappling with rampant inflation, opinion polls indicate Erdogan, for the first time in two decades, faces a serious electoral challenge. But the fear is, the courts - rather than voters - could decide the outcome.
[[RADIO VERSION: Mesut Yegen of the Reform Institute think tank.]]
((Mesut Yegen, Reform Institute - Male in English-VOA ORIGINAL-on camera))
“The thing is that it's as if there is no law anymore. It depends on Erdogan’s wishes. It means that they can be even harsher.”
((NARRATOR))
Since 1950, Turkey has had free and fair elections. But parties this year are calling for electoral safeguards to be a priority as polls suggest it may be the closest election in decades.
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline) Istanbul
Embargo DateJanuary 26, 2023 15:15 EST
Byline
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
