Minister Tunç's complaint regarding Can Atalay: 'You are always pressuring the Minister of Justice'

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç made statements at the TBMM Planning and Budget Committee regarding the crisis that has begun in the judiciary over the TİP Hatay MP Can Atalay decision.

Stating, "The Can Atalay issue is particularly curious. I mean, you are always pressuring the Minister of Justice," Tunç said, "I said this: there is a difference of opinion between the Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation regarding the implementation of Articles 83 and 14 of the Constitution... One is not a lower court and the other a higher court. The high courts are listed. There is a heading in the Constitution called 'High Courts'."

"DEMOCRACY IS NECESSARY FOR THE RULE OF LAW"

Reminding that, in accordance with Article 183 of the Constitution, questions cannot be asked regarding ongoing judicial matters, Tunç responded to the criticism that Turkey ranks behind African countries in terms of justice in reports by international organizations as follows:

"In the countries shown ahead of Turkey, let alone law and the judiciary, there is no democracy. First of all, there are no free elections. Showing Turkey behind those countries is an injustice. It is unacceptable to say that Turkey is behind Zambia, Rwanda, or Ghana in the rule of law, or to show Turkey as being behind countries whose names have never been heard. I want to express that there is an ulterior motive. For a country to have the rule of law, it must have democracy."