MHP leader slams European Parliament report on Türkiye

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on June 23 condemned the recent European Parliament’s report on Türkiye, emphasizing the independence of the Turkish judiciary.

“The Turkish judiciary does not make decisions based on reports from Brussels. Türkiye cannot be brought into line through threats or patronizing signals from external actors. Everyone should watch their step and know their limits,” Bahçeli told his lawmakers during his party’s parliamentary group meeting in the capita Ankara.

Last week, the European Parliament adopted the non-binding report in a vote held in Strasbourg, with 381 lawmakers in favor, 107 against and 171 abstentions.

The document incorporated 55 proposed amendments and broadened its criticism of developments in Türkiye, alongside longstanding concerns regarding democracy, judicial independence and human rights.

The final version also retained a proposal calling for sanctions against Justice Minister Akın Gürlek over the judicial process against opposition-run municipalities.

Recalling that the report is non-binding, he nonetheless said it should be closely examined due to the political intentions it reflects.

“One of the most alarming sections of the report is the attempt to place our judiciary under siege,” he said.

Bahçeli further argued that interpreting ongoing judicial proceedings through a political lens or attempting to influence independent Turkish courts amounts to a “desire for tutelage and an ambition for domination.”

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry responded to the report last week, rejecting the European Parliament’s latest country report and describing it as politically motivated, biased and detached from the strategic realities shaping relations between Ankara and the European Union.