Ruling AKP has taken over the judiciary, says opposition leader

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Speaking at a meeting of the CHP’s parliamentary group, Kılıçdaroğlu slammed the prime minister for forcing his opinions on the country by controlling the judiciary, the universities, the media and the unions. Daily News Photo, Selahattin Sönmez

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has filled the judicial branch to suit itself and is also filling positions of university and media bosses, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the CHP’s parliamentary group, Kılıçdaroğlu slammed the prime minister for forcing his opinions on the country by controlling the judiciary, the universities, the media and the unions.

“They first dismantled the media and punished the bosses severely. They fired the ones they disliked.
Then they saw another obstacle, which was the judiciary. They had to turn the judiciary into militants.  They made a referendum, and they completely changed the judiciary,” he said, in reference to the 2011 constitutional referendum.

The CHP head added that AKP control spread to high-ranking university officials and even union and non-governmental organization heads.

“However, these walls of fear have been taken down by the youth of this country. The kids showed that they weren’t afraid, not of tear gas, or TOMAs, or even real bullets. They made shields with their bodies and they said they weren’t afraid,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.