Turkey: Another parliamentary punch-up over judicial reforms
- 10 years ago
Tempers flared in the Turkish parliament for the second day running as the justice commission debated a draft bill that would give the government
more control over the judiciary.
Opponents of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan say it is part of his efforts to stifle a corruption scandal that has seen three cabinet ministers quit.
A similar fight on Saturday reflected the strength of feeling as rival MPs threw punches, water bottles and even an iPad.
Despite the drama, Erdogan said the commission,over half of whose members are from his AK Party, had concluded the proposed reforms are legal.
The corruption investigation has touched the inner circle of the prime minister and posed one of the biggest challenges of his 11-year rule.
Thousands took to the streets of Ankara at the weekend to denounce the government.
Erdogan, who has already purged the police of hundreds of officers, has cast the probe as an attempted ‘judicial coup’.
more control over the judiciary.
Opponents of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan say it is part of his efforts to stifle a corruption scandal that has seen three cabinet ministers quit.
A similar fight on Saturday reflected the strength of feeling as rival MPs threw punches, water bottles and even an iPad.
Despite the drama, Erdogan said the commission,over half of whose members are from his AK Party, had concluded the proposed reforms are legal.
The corruption investigation has touched the inner circle of the prime minister and posed one of the biggest challenges of his 11-year rule.
Thousands took to the streets of Ankara at the weekend to denounce the government.
Erdogan, who has already purged the police of hundreds of officers, has cast the probe as an attempted ‘judicial coup’.