Graft probe prosecutor denouncing ‘threats’ is ‘making a show’: Justice minister

ANKARA

'It’s time that in Turkey we separate those who are making a show and dispensing justice,' Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said. AA Photo

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has blasted prosecutor Zekeriya Öz for accusing the prime minister of threatening him, slamming him “for making a show.”

“It’s time that in Turkey we separate those who are making a show and dispensing justice. The Prime Minister’s Office made a statement and said [claims brought up by Öz] were slander,” Bozdağ told reporters Jan. 9.

Öz said during a press statement on Jan. 8 that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent two former members of the high judiciary to him with the message that he “would not be harmed” provided he stopped the graft probe he was overseeing.

The massive accusations were quickly rejected by Erdoğan, who labeled them “lies and slander” in a written statement.

In the same vein, Bozdağ slammed the Supreme Court of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) for permitting or overlooking the fact that a prosecutor could make such a press statement.

“I don’t know if Öz has asked permission from the HSYK, but the HSYK does not have any authority to grant such permission. Prosecutors should follow their duties in line with the Constitution and the law. If instead they make a show, they will effect a loss of trust and belief in justice,” Bozdağ said.

One day earlier, Bozdağ said he had not been planning to give the required permission to the HSYK to examine certain prosecutors, including Öz.