Davutoğlu: I Am Against Holding Academics Arrested Pending Trial

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 Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has made comments on the agenda for the press members he was accompanied by during his visit to Jordan.

Davutoğlu commentating on the arrested academics has noted that “putting on trial without keeping under arrest” should be the principle and referring to Assist. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan he has noted “Also a person who took a stand against the headscarf ban in the past. I have no negative opinion of her. On the contrary, she is a person whose libertarian attitude I have heard of”.

Noting that security was not the only issue in Turkey, Davutoğlu has expressed his opinions in favor of the presidential system.

“Only we know about the number of the terrorist attacks we have hindered. But security is not the only issue in Turkey”.

“We need the presidential system”

Noting that the country needed the presidential system, Davutoğlu has added;

“Yet the separation of powers and the mutual balance-inspection of this presidential system should be so well-defined that no one has any doubts in their minds.

“I principally do not think that unitary states and structures with a Constitutional Court do need a two-chamber system”.  

“Trial without arrest should be the principle”

“I principally am against putting people in jail pending trial till a judgement is passed unless there is a judicial necessity.

“I am telling this an academic who has been exposed to oppressions on February 28; I can’t accept restricting any kind of thought.

“That academic [Assist. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan] at Boğaziçi University is also a person who had taken a stand against the headscarf ban in the past. I have no negative opinion of her. On the contrary, she is a person whose libertarian attitude I have heard of.

“Even after seeing the bodies torn apart, if an academic can read that declaration [Peace Declaration entitled ‘We will not be a party to this crime’] without criticizing PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), I will discuss with her/him on a different platform and will put up my fight. But the legal issue is a separate matter.”

“If immunities were lifted, Government could fall”

With regards to the proposal of lifting immunities of all, Davutoğlu has expressed his concerns as “If you make politics completely open to all interventions, those who wish to manipulate the arithmetics of the parliament would indirectly try to take down”.   

“What you call immunity is only the authorization for the judicial process. It is not punishing the MP.

“Even if the authorization to put on trial is granted, the deputyship is not over. One can still stand before court and continue his deputyship. I do not posses the power to end anyone’s deputyship. We are a state of democratic society”. (EKN/DG)

* Photograph: Arif Hüdaverdi Yaman / Anadolu News Agency (AA)