Kürkçü: AKP uses State of Emergency as a lever for dictatorship

HDP Representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Ertuğrul Kürkçü pointed out that the AKP is abusing the State of Emergency as a lever for a dictatorship with no regard for the law.

HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) Representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ertuğrul Kürkçü spoke in the name of the European United Left about the “New threats against the rule of law in member states to the Council of Europe” report in the PACE Autumn Session.

“RULE OF LAW COLLAPSED”

Kürkçü stated that the report confirms the criticisms about the rule of law collapsing in Turkey.

“I offer my congratulations to the rapporteur for their work that has investigated the developments leading to the damaging of the rule of law among member states to the Council of Europe and that has drawn PACE’s attention to this dangerous situation,” said Kürkçü and offered the following analyses:

“As a citizen of Turkey and an opposition MP in Turkey’s parliament, I find myself at quite an odd position with regards to the subject of the report. On one hand, the report refrains from citing Turkey as the only member state to the Council of Europe where the rule of law is under threat. But at least it offers a lot of evidence to how the rule of law has been eroded in the four other countries it has picked. In this context, the report cannot be labelled with Turkophobia and/or Islamophobia which the governing party AKP uses frequently to dismiss international criticism against the violations of the rule of law. Moreover, the report also confirms the criticism we posed domestically regarding the collapse of the rule of law in Turkey, where 2% of the members of parliament, including our co-chairs Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ, are in prison.

“I SUPPORT THE RAPPORTEUR’S ADVICE TO TURKEY”

On the other hand, the report gives plenty of clues that many other CoE member states may be added to a long list of countries where the rule of law is under threat. This situation in itself becomes a source of concern for the peoples victimized by the violations of the rule of law and the separation of powers principles. The question that rightfully arises is: How can the peoples place their trust in an international human rights organization where many member states are serious sources of violations against rights and freedoms themselves?

With that in mind, as PACE members courageously speak against the flaws of their own states on every platform within and outside of their countries in the name of the peoples as representatives of the peoples, this clear contradiction can become a greater source of strength. For that, I strongly support the rapporteur’s advice for Turkish authorities.

“DICTATORSHIP ATTEMPT”

Yes, since the coup has failed, its active elements have been crushed and tens of thousands of suspects have been imprisoned, the state of emergency should be lifted. Yes, the government should stop abusing the state of emergency as a lever to found a dictatorship with no regard for the law. Yes, the constitutional amendment achieved by the fraudulent referendum of April 16, 2017 should be annulled for serving an attempt to found a dictatorship in the middle of the Council of Europe. And yes, the rule of law should be rescued from the shackles of the executive power illegally controlled by the president.”

ARRESTED DEPUTIES

Kürkçü concluded his speech with the following comments on the arrested MPs:

“Likewise, the nine HDP MPs and co-chairs and one CHP MP should immediately be released and the lawsuits filed against 150 parliamentarians should immediately be dismissed. We can’t talk of the separation of powers in a country where parliamentarians spend most of their time being on trial under a threat of heavy sentences or actually in prison. A parliamentarian’s place is the parliament.”