Vice Prime Minister Kurtulmuş: Constitutional Court Exceeded Its Authority

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Evaluating the decision of the Constitutional Court (AYM) on the journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, Numan Kurtulmuş has expressed that the court has exceeded the limits of its authority.

CLICK - CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ISSUES REASONED DECISION ON DÜNDAR, GÜL

Adding that the Constitutional Court had intervened in the decision of the court of first instance, Kurtulmuş has noted “I wish, the Constitutional Court had not made any comments with regards to the substance of the case”.

“But the main issue which we must discuss is how such an obviously legal issue has been turned into a political discussion [...] which it doesn’t need to be. The Constitutional Court has apparently acted beyond its authority. And everybody has the right to criticize this. In this sense, everybody has the right to make use of their personal right to criticize and no one can say the Constitutional Court is uncriticizable.

What had happened?

Prosecution was started as to the article published with the headline “Here are the weapons Erdoğan claim to not exist” on May 29 over “Procuring information as to state security”, “Political and military espionage”, “Declaring confidential information”, “Propagandizing terror organization”.  

Chief Public Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu had declared the prosecution by press release.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had personally filed a criminal complaint and requested Dündar to be sentenced to one aggravated life imprisonment, one life imprisonment and 42 years in prison for “targeting state interests by using images contrary to facts”.

Erdoğan on a live broadcast on public channel TRT had said, "I guess the person who made this special news will heavily pay for it".

Dündar and Gül had been imprisoned as of November 26.

Upon their objection against arrest being rejected, they had made an appeal to the Constitutional Court over “violation of freedom of press and speech and the right to security”.

Upon reporter of the Constitutional Court delivering the opinion that “freedom of press and expression, right to personal security have been violated, their imprisonment is unlawful” as to Gül and Dündar’s application, Gül and Dündar’s file had been referred to the Constitutional Court General Assembly.

CLICK - AYM REPORT: ARREST OF GÜL, DÜNDAR UNLAWFUL

Constitutional Court General Assembly has ruled journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül imprisoned as of November 26 over MİT truck report subjected to violation of right.

CLICK - CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES JOURNALIST CAN DÜNDAR, ERDEM GÜL EXPOSED TO VIOLATION OF RIGHT

14th Heavy Penal Court has ruled release of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül following the “violation of rights” verdict by the Constitutional Court.

CLICK - COURT RULES RELEASE OF CAN DÜNDAR, ERDEM GÜL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has commentated on the Constitutional Court’s ruling to release the journalists Gül and Dündar as “I don’t obey the court decision. I don’t respect it either”.

CLICK - ERDOGAN ON RELEASE OF GÜL AND DÜNDAR: DON’T OBEY OR RESPECT THE COURT RULING

(EA/DG)