ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Presidents Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals did not have authority to issue the statement that criticized last week "certain political circles" for attempting to influence and control the judiciary.
"If such a statement regarding a political party, which is a defendant of a closure case, is issued, it would be betraying more than 16 million people who voted for my party. I can not leave it unanswered," Erdogan told a party meeting in Ankara.
"Presidents Committee (of the Supreme Court of Appeals) issued that statement concerning themselves, not with an authority granted by laws or the constitution," Erdogan said. "There is no such authority and if we remain silent as administrators who won 16.5 million votes, then we, the voice of silent mass, will become the silent mass. Everybody should mind his/her own business."
Last week, Presidents Committee of Turkey`s Supreme Court of Appeals said in a statement that there were attempts to influence and control the judiciary. It said a judiciary, under the control and guidance of the executive body, was wanted in Turkey.
However, Erdogan underlined that there was no enmity between the Supreme Court of Appeals and the government and added that laws should not discriminate individuals or political parties.
"Mr. Deniz Baykal (leader of main opposition Republican People`s Party) reads verses of the Koran but when Tayyip Erdogan says `they have eyes but they can not see`, they want it in the file (of the closure case). It is ridiculous," he said.
Erdogan said Turkish people could have concerns about the future over these controversies; however he said democratic, secular, social state of law is the guarantee of Turkish people.
(TÇ-GC)