The human dignity in the face of hypocrisy

Judiciary in Turkey had always been an instrument of the regime from the Kemalists generals to President Erdogan’s “Neo-Ottomanist regime”. Courts in Turkey simply don’t exist anymore. Currently there are only “President Erdogan’s Courts” that serve him while he considers that “the judiciary in Turkey is more fair than in any other European country”.

Turkish journalist Abdullah Bozkurt, who has been in exile in Sweden, discloses dirty little secrets regarding Turkey, since Kemalism until today, with the aim of influencing certain officials in various key positions. From politicians, academics, journalists and diplomats of foreign states to judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.

Into these “great exploits” of Turkey through blackmail and corruption, including interference with judges at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg for a case involving the Republic of Cyprus. The reporter also lists Karl Bild’s (Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from October 2006 to October 2014) links as he’s openly a current apologist for Turkey’s Erdogan regime.

Incidentally, after the failure of the Annan Plan to reunify Cyprus, Mr Bild took a leading role - with some Greek Cypriots - to punish the Cypriot government and to reward the breakaway regime. His wife, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, who is now a MEP for Sweden (EPP) is the head of the lobby in favour of Erdogan’s regime. Furthermore, bloodthirsty Hakan Fidan, who heads Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency, is the head of all regime’s dirty work. It is believed that the massacre in Egypt’s Al Arish province has been carried out by the Turkish MIT. Or rather, this is a massacre carried out by Hakan Fidan on Erdogan’s orders.

Against all these people “related to corruption”, there are still some people who resist with boldness. The two cochairmen of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey, Selahattin Demirtas (of Kurdish origin) and Figen Yuksekdag (of Turkish origin) who have been detained in different prisons since November 2016 with seven other deputies had to be brought to court last month. The regime accuses them for “establishment of an armed terrorist organisation”, “terrorist propaganda”, etc. (Ankara accuses HDP of having ties to the PKK, a named terrorist organisation. In May 2016, the Turkish parliament voted to lift immunity from a select group of lawmakers, including many HDP members.)

After a year, the only evidence against them were the public speeches they had made years earlier. Turkey’s government sought to imprison Demirtas and Yuksekdag for up to 142 years. In addition, the Kurdish leader is being tried in absentia after the court denied his right to attend, insisting he use a video link from the prison in which he is being held — an option he refused.

Consequently, the courts in

Turkey

are

just

an instrument for promoting the mandates of the regime. Courts are only in name. However, the ECHR (Strasbourg) rejected the request of the evicted to appeal directly to the European Court and demands that all “Turkish appeals” to be addressed and exhausted first in Turkey. We’re faced with so much hypocrisy from the highest level of fairness and respect in Europe.

In the face of hypocrisy, Demirtas’ statement to “Erdogan’s Prosecutor” remains a timeless monument of dignity of humanity:

“We are the elected representatives of people. We are not representing ourselves but the masses who elected us. We are member of parliament with a parliamentary immunity. I will not allow to disrespect the will of my people. I refuse to be an actor this judicial theatre that started just because Erdogan ordered it. I will not answer to your questions. Even bringing me here is illegal. Being in parliament or in prison, we will continue to defend our ideas and struggle. We have no doubt that we will get our country and people rid of this fascistic regime under the name of presidency. Sooner or later the democratic struggle will win. The regime under Erdogan will change. I have no requests or expectations from you. Only my people can question me for my political activities”. – Demirtas, Nov 2016.

Even if Demirtas still remains in prison, the young leader with his courage preserves the dignity of humanity.