ISTANBUL - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Thursday that the claims that certain people were appointed to certain positions in his ministry were not true, adding, ''the judiciary should not be worn out by baseless claims.''
Cicek left for Seoul, South Korea to attend the International Anti-Corruption Conference and Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity.
Prior to his departure, Cicek told a press conference that corruption which gained different dimensions each passing day had started to threaten economic and political stability and development of the countries.
Cicek said that the problem gained an international dimension and that regional and international coordination should be made and standard measures should be taken for efficient fight against corruption.
More than 80 countries would attend the meeting, Cicek noted. He said that 32 countries would participate in the meeting at the level of justice ministers.
Stating that a newspaper published some claims that ''certain people were appointed to certain positions in his ministry'' due to the judges and prosecutors decree that was being prepared, Cicek said, ''two institutions should be kept outside every kind of discussion in Turkey. One of them is the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the other is the judiciary.''
Cicek went on saying, ''250 of the appointments and changes in the decree were made by drawing lots. It is not made by our appreciation. 650 of the appointments are related with the judges and prosecutors, whose term in office in the places they are working have expired. They have asked to leave the places they are currently staying due to some family affairs or other reasons.''
''The ministry decided to change places of 80 of them in regard to the esteem of the judiciary since the inspectors said that their continuation of duty in the existing places would not be appropriate,'' Cicek said.
Noting that the appointment of judges and prosecutors were delayed till today due to November 3 general elections, Cicek said, ''appointment of certain people to certain positions as claimed is out of question. The Justice Ministry is very sensitive about this issue.''
Cicek stated that that appointment was made by the decision of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors and said, ''these claims neither have legal ground nor they reflect the reality.''
Replying to questions about the claim that ''the sixth adjustment package was delayed after the NSC meeting,'' Cicek said, ''the Accession Partnership Accord was issued last April. Turkey had to review its national program in parallel with this accord and give it to the EU authorities. If there is a delay, it is related with this program. It doesn't have any link with the NSC. Such inaccurate headlines damage democratic image of Turkey. If Turkey is to join the EU, it can't make it with these images.''
Asked about the decision of the German court not to extradite Metin Kaplan, the leader of the Islamic Community-Denominational Vision, to Turkey, Cicek said, ''we insist on extradition of Metin Kaplan. We think that the reason that is put forth is not so legal. Metin Kaplan should be extradited to Turkey. We don't find the decision of the Dusseldorf Court realistic and legal. There is a political evaluation here. We are examining the decision and we will put forth our demand.''
(BRC-ÖS) 29.05.2003